Anika

Tutoring Experience

So far, I have taught every grade from 6-12 except grade 10!

I have 2 years of training and experience tutoring SAT Reading and Writing, as well as 2 years of experience supporting the college essay process.

Tutoring Approach

SAT/ACT Writing: I always start with a benchmarking exam to target areas of strength and challenge for the student. Based on the diagnostic, we focus on the areas the student needs support in, drilling the rules with lots of practice and memory devices. If the student needs general support with the writing section, we start step by step, first with clauses and clause rules, then prepositions, etc. I am to break things down so they are clear, and make sure the student practices enough to reach mastery before moving on to a new topic.

SAT Reading: Just like with writing, I always start with a benchmarking exam to target areas of strength and challenge for the student. Then, we talk strategies! The reading section of the SAT is full of tricks and traps, but I know how to help you outsmart the test. I provide strategies for annotating the passage, breaking down the questions, process of elimination, key words that indicate “trick” answers, and how to tackle paired evidence questions.

College Essay: This is my favorite thing to tutor! We start with a brief “get to know you” conversation that addresses your passions, strengths, challenges, and goals, as well as why you are pursuing your chosen field of study (if known). From this information, we distil the core values about yourself that you want your essay to show. Then, we brainstorm stories that showcase these values, and begin to write! We then go through as many revisions as needed to get your essay to the most perfect place it can be. For supplemental essays, we will also do deep research into the university and ensure that your essay shows your alignment with the goals and values of your dream school!

General English: English tutoring is dependent on what the student needs. I will have a general discussion with you about your goals, and then support you in the areas in which you need support. For writing focused sessions, I like to live edit the essay via Google docs and explain my thinking to you, then provide time to revise, and then reread the essay and leave additional feedback before you sign off.

AP Language: With AP Lang specifically, I break down each segment on the test, using prior year’s exams as practice material. We also look at sample essays and analyze why high scorers scored well, and why low scorers scored poorly. We then use the strong essays as models for timed writing. Additionally, we analyze multiple choice strategies to ensure best results on this section of the test.

Academic Language Development for Second Language Learners: I have lots of fun vocabulary games, sentence practice, and conversation prompts to help you practice your English and develop as you go. Depending on your needs, I also have a systematic approach to grammar and sentence structure with lots of practice!

Dyslexia Support: In addition to any general tutoring, I ensure that students with dyslexia are provided with appropriate tools and supports, including, but not limited to, useful sentence stems, visuals, weighted fonts, speech-to-text, read aloud, etc. I teach students how to use tools available to them to achieve success, as well as tips on how to persevere when tools aren’t available.