Personal Description:

My area of expertise is English: writing and literature. I hold advanced degrees (master's and Ph.D.) from McGill University and the University of Toronto, and have been published in several academic journals. Currently, I am pursuing my own research and writing while tutoring English part-time.

Tutoring Experience:

I have many years of teaching experience and at all levels, including K-12 and the college level. I am familiar with the B.C. English curriculum and have prepared many students to write the standardized grade 12 English exam.

Tutoring Approach:

My approach is student-based, which means I use a variety of methods and learning tools depending on the student's age and learning style. With regard to content, I focus on the acquisition of writings skills, beginning with grammar exercises. After the student has mastered the parts of speech, I move on to elements of style. These include learning how to construct a paragraph, write a thesis statement, use transitional words and phrases, and alternate short and long sentences so that the writing has rhythm and flow.

I ask that all students keep a journal, since most learning happens by engaging in the writing process rather than by answering a set of questions. Typically, the journal summarizes a book the student is reading or a portion of a book. I give appropriately graded book suggestions to students who have trouble reading and ask that they read for at least a half hour every day. Developing good reading and writing skills requires time and effort, but significant improvement as indicated by a higher grade in school is usually possible within a few months.