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Stephanie
- Rate $29
- Response 1h
$29/hr
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- English
- Grammar
- Redaction
- English Literature
Experienced Writing Tutor and Former Instructor; Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
- English
- Grammar
- Redaction
- English Literature
Lesson location
About Stephanie
Hi! I'm Stephanie Gibson. I have a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in nineteenth-century English Literature. As an undergraduate, I tutored writing, literature, (and sometimes drama) for three years. I also taught first-year writing classes at the University of Georgia for three semesters. I believe that writing clearly and efficiently is one of the most useful and necessary skills one can develop, but I will also freely admit that it's not an easy skill to develop. It requires practice, discipline, and a determination to be heard no matter what. It's also freeing, as well as the best way to add our voices to the conversations we find most important. My goal as a writing tutor / instructor is to decrease the amount of stress and intimidation that often surrounds the composition process, and help students discover the best and most efficient way to express themselves as clearly as possible. Even if it means using fragments. Or ignoring the Oxford comma (only sometimes, though!).
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About the lesson
- Primary
- High School
- NCEA Level 1
- +5
levels :
Primary
High School
NCEA Level 1
NCEA Level 2
NCEA Level 3
Adult education
Masters
Doctorate
- English
All languages in which the lesson is available :
English
TEACHING METHODS AND TECHNIQUES: Strong writing skills are developed through practice, and practice is most effective when it follows an effective example. I show students strong sample essays / articles / commentaries when showing them how to develop thoughts on the sentence, paragraph, and essay level. I also encourage them to identify tone, voice, audience, and why the sample essay is or is not suitable for said audience. I also assign short, low-stakes writing prompts, usually unrelated to the assignment or text in question, as a way of allowing students to "warm up" to putting thoughts down on paper. Finally, I encourage students to develop their own thoughts and opinions about the assignment / text, rather than repeat what they've heard or read from others.
A TYPICAL LESSON PLAN: For non-literature composition assignments, I begin by issuing a 3 to 5 minute "warm up" exercise that will stretch thought- and writing-muscles. For example: "tell me about your ideal 'lazy day' or 'no bones day' in about 150 words." Afterward, I issue the assignment, ensure the student understands the assignment by asking them to explain it to me, and assess their comfort with the assignment. We then look at strong examples of the assignment, discuss initial thoughts, and see if the student can identify what makes the essay strong. Time permitting, we might look at less strong examples to discuss areas that could have been improved and how so. Again, time permitting, we might brainstorm topics based upon the student's interest. For literature-based composition, it would be much the same, except that I would allow as much time as possible to ensuring the student understands the text upon which the assignment is based. If the text itself is the assignment, I would discuss relevant background details and/or historical and social context first. Afterward, I would ensure the student understands the content of the text, occasionally asking them to explain it to me using accessible language. If necessary, we would reread and discuss the portions of the text that the student does not understand until such a time as their understanding is clear.
WHAT SETS ME APART AS A TUTOR: I focus on developing clear and efficient communication skills rather than on rote memorization of rules and facts about literature and composition. I would rather students feel comfortable with writing, and learn to see it as a useful, creative, and even fun tool with which to express themselves. I understand that grammar and punctuation has to be standardized to an extent, of course, so I do not dismiss the rules of writing entirely. I do not, however, encourage students to fear the rules of writing, or deem themselves "bad writers" because they struggle to understand traditional comma or semicolon placement. I try to find the balance between "you need to structure the sentence this way so you'll be understood" and "don't be afraid to put your personality on the page, even if it means using a few fragments here and there."
WHO THE LESSONS ARE FOR: I am most experienced with first-year college writers, but I've taught dual enrollment high school students as well. I am open to acquiring more experience at the high school level of tutoring.
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Rates
Rate
- $29
Pack prices
- 5h: $147
- 10h: $294
travel fee
- + $3
online
- $29/h
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