Marcy W.
Private tutor in Santa Monica, CA
Education
I’m a dynamic retired public high school teacher with teaching credentials from UCLA (1993), a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Berkeley (1974) and experience teaching English, history and government to highly gifted, limited English proficient and learning disabled students. In addition to teaching diverse students, I mentored teachers throughout my two decades in the public school system where I spearheaded departmental lesson planning. During this time I chaired the English department at a middle school and achieved National Board Certification, an exceptional professional recognition. Most recently, I earned my credential as a special education teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where I taught social communication skills to students on the autism spectrum facing challenges with social-emotional learning and executive function: organization and planning. If you or your son or daughter could use help setting up organizational systems (planner, notebook, assignment deadlines, etc.), I can be of great assistance as we walk through strategies for staying on top of the course load.
Experience
Academically, I’m excited about collaborating with students on test preparation, essay-writing, close reading strategies, vocabulary development and creative writing. I am also a political science expert, having majored in political science at the University of California at Berkeley and having spent much of my adult life as an advocate for peace and social justice. Although the bulk of my teaching experience is at the secondary level, I am also trained to teach reading to young children and older adults, both of whom have benefitted from my method of integrating phonics with story writing. In addition to tutoring, I consult with parents of special needs students. Having worked as a special education teacher and case carrier, I can review and suggest IEP accommodations and advocate for students with a range of challenges, from ADHD to autism to visual and auditory learning disabilities and processing challenges.
Subject Expertise
Social StudiesPolitical ScienceCivicsCreative WritingCLEP American GovernmentDyslexiaCLEP American LiteraturePSAT Critical ReadingExpository WritingLSAT Essay SectionCLEP Social Sciences and HistoryWritingWorld CivilizationSAT VerbalPersuasive WritingSAT Critical ReadingCLEP College CompositionACT EnglishACT with WritingAmerican HistoryEnglishAP U.S. Government & PoliticsADHDAmerican LiteratureAP Comparative Government and PoliticsAP English Literature and CompositionAP United States HistorySpecial Education3rd Grade ReadingWorld History10th Grade Reading10th Grade Writing11th Grade Reading11th Grade Writing8th Grade Reading9th Grade Writing12th Grade Reading12th Grade Writing1st Grade Reading1st Grade Writing2nd Grade Reading2nd Grade WritingPSAT Writing Skills3rd Grade Writing4th Grade Reading4th Grade Writing5th Grade Reading5th Grade Writing6th Grade Reading6th Grade Writing7th Grade Reading7th Grade Writing8th Grade Writing9th Grade ReadingACT ReadingACT Writing
Availability
Weekends at any time
Can Meet
Up to 5 minutes away for no additional charge, Up to 5 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
When not teaching or tutoring, I am writing and have co-authored three tween novels: Lola Zola and the Lemonade Crush; New Girl on Salt Flat Road; Lola Zola Desert Detective. I love animals, ping pong and swimming, and am a warm-hearted compassionate person who delights in making learning fun. Typically, I arrive not just with notebook and pen but with a beach ball or mini-football to toss around ideas, a Hollywood slate card (Lights, Camera, Action) to role-play scenes and characters from literary texts, and colored highlighters to differentiate thesis, support, and counter-argument. I believe learning should be fun and engaging and take great pride in my students' and parents' success. Let's do this!
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