Linda B.
Private tutor in Pasadena, CA
Education
English Major at University of Massachusetts@ Amherst: Bachelor of Arts with a one year Independent Study in Creative Writing (Honors) Commonwealth Scholar GPA:3.9 Adult Education Major at Jones International University, Centennial, Colorado: Master of Arts (Honors) 2011; GPA:4.0. Certified Instructor of English as a Second Language: i-to-i TEFL/TESOL, Leeds, United Kingdom
Experience
I have over 15 years experience as a teacher and tutor helping students of all ages improve their English skills: Speaking, Phonics, Reading, Comprehension, Listening/Understanding and Writing. i currently work through a Learning Academy in Los Angeles as a class teacher and tutor for students ages 6 through 18 in ESL and CHASEE and SAT preparation. I also counsel high school juniors and seniors to help them make appropriate college or university choices based on their interests and goals. My job includes guiding them through the application process, making sure that all requirements and deadlines are met. My favorite part of the job is editing each student's personal essay so that he or she presents the best possible profile. In addition to being a Certified TEFL/TESOL instructor and counselor, I work both in person and online with college students and adults as an editor of academic, business, and creative writings. I also try to schedule time to write short stories and poetry of my own. I am a published author of children's stories and was fortunate to be selected as a contributor to a Children's Anthology of stories and poetry distributed by the Florida Department of Education to elementary schools. While completing my BA at U. Mass/Amherst, I was able to write under the guidance of an amazing professor who expected a lot. I worked hard not to disappoint her. At the end of the year I had to read my entire body of work to a panel of six professors. I feel blessed to have finished with an "A" and a lot of positive feedback from each one of them. Completing my Masters was challenging because I owned and managed a small business at the same time. Fortunately, I was able to work on a school project that allowed me to also resolve a workplace problem. About half of the 26 employees in my business were Mexican non-English speakers. Communications problems continually plagued employee relations and affected both production and quality. To resolve the issue I developed and coordinated an ESL learning program for both native and non-native speakers utilizing specific workplace vocabulary. The result was a gratifying improvement in the quality of the work and the sensitivity of the employees toward one another. It seems that no matter what path I followed, it always led me to some form of teaching. When I lived in Wisconsin, I volunteered with the American Literacy Counsel to help adults learn to read, and when I worked as a court reporter I mentored new reporters in all aspects of the job. I get so much joy and satisfaction working one-to-one with students because I can customize my teaching to each student's learning preferences. When I see a student "light up" when she understands something that was a mystery to her before, or when a grade goes up, it's a great feeling, not only for the student--for me as well! Here is a testimonial from one of my students: Linda is a GREAT tutor who offered really good advice on how to improve my essay for graduate school. Her well-developed background in English and writing has made her a really keen editor. She is able to catch grammatical mistakes right away and I really liked her edits and feedback. I believe she made a positive difference to my essay and am glad I had her as a resource to help me. Linda has a genuine passion for helping students succeed and her positive, kind, and patient personality made it very easy for me to get along with her! Overall, I would rate my experience with Linda as a 10/10! I will definitely be returning to her as a student in the future and would highly recommend her as a tutor for you! Thank you again Linda! From Cathryn D. San Gabriel, CA
Availability
Weekdays after 9AM
Can Meet
Up to 25 minutes away at my regular hourly rate
Hobbies
My major interest is creative writing. I belong to a great writing group where I can get a lot of validation and constructive ideas. I also play (or try to play!) the guitar. My dog Frannie and I take long walks really early in the morning, and sometimes we hike some of the trails around our community. I collect cookbooks and love to try new recipes when I have the time and try them out on my two daughters and their families.
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