Julie
Certified Tutor
I am a Special Education English teacher in Philadelphia with a passion for education. I love working with students of all ages to find their learning style and to meet their personal goals. I also love to laugh and have fun while getting work done!
I graduated from Fordham University in New York City with a major in sociology and a double minor in visual arts and philosophy. During my undergraduate career I worked with students as young as preschool and as old as high school seniors on their reading and writing skills. I truly believe that reading and writing is the key to understanding and interacting with the world in a positive way. I know certain books have changed my life and I hope to instill the same passion I have for the written word within all my students!
I have been teaching both high school and middle school in Philadelphia for the past five years. I have taught reading intervention and seen many of my students make enormous gains. I am in the process of being certified in the Wilson System of reading, which is a rigorous and research based intervention for students of all ages. I am excited to work with students on everything from fundamental phonics to critical reading!
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Undergraduate Degree: Fordham University - Bachelor in Arts, Sociology
Graduate Degree: University of Pennsylvania - Masters, Urban Education
- SAT Verbal: 730
- SAT Writing: 700
Painting, Drawing, Photography, Reading, Education Reform, NFL Football
- College English
- College Essays
- Comparative Literature
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- HSPT Language Skills
- HSPT Reading
- HSPT Verbal
- Literature
- Phonics
- Reading
- SAT Reading
- SAT Subject Test in Literature
- SAT Subject Tests Prep
- SAT Writing and Language
- Test Prep
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Teaching needs to be centered on the student(s). Everyone is an individual and learns in a different way. I believe in teaching to the student's specific learning style to achieve maximum success.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would first want to get to know the student through short ice breakers or games. Then I would want to assess where the work needs to be done.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I believe in modeling concepts for the students, letting them try it on their own with me for support, and then giving them work to complete independently. I believe this builds the skills necessary to be an independent learner.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I try to motivate my students by connecting their work to their goals or their interests.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Active reading is a GREAT strategy. I love to teach fun ways to break down the text and take notes when reading. This makes it so much easier to answer those questions as soon as the passage is totally read.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Scaffolding is such an important concept in teaching and learning. You build a student's confidence in the subject by helping them master the basic concepts first. Then, you use those basic concepts in the more challenging problems. Having a solid baseline of knowledge helps the students to feel as though they have something to lean on when faced with difficult questions.