What is your teaching philosophy?

The best writing comes from the heart, and that's where I begin my lessons. We start with the story you're trying to tell, and then build and outline a clear structure to support it. Organization is key!

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

We'll get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, what you love about telling stories, and what scares you, and envision some of the challenges ahead and how we can work together to beat them.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I have a bursting toolkit of editorial tips and tricks gathered over my years as a professional proofreader and book editor. I'll share these shortcuts with you to empower you to write, edit, and polish your work on your own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Writing can be hard, even for seasoned pros. The best way to stay motivated is to find simple, achievable writing goals. I'll help students break down insurmountable challenges into small, manageable tasks.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

There are many roads to success! I'm a visual learner, and I love using diagrams, charts, and drawings to illustrate tricky subjects.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

Sometimes it's a matter of getting lost in the forest and missing a single tree, and sometimes it's staring too hard at a single leaf. Reading is a balance between close observation and big-picture thinking. We'll make sure to strengthen both of these skills!

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

I find that talking through writing problems out loud, putting down the pen and paper, and just telling a story helps the words flow naturally. The nitty gritty of grammar and outlining can come later.