TUTORING SERVICES FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS: essay writing, creative writing, personal narrative

I tell my college students that writing is a muscle. The more we use it, the stronger it gets. Learning to write, no matter in what form—essay, poem, personal narrative, short story—teaches more than craft. Writing, as well
as the equally important revising, teaches us how to organize our thoughts and be responsible for how they are presented. Thus, the lessons learned in creating and shaping an essay, for example, carry through to all facets of learning and life.

Students who routinely begin the semester by exclaiming how much they hate to write, and how “bad” they are at it, often end the semester enjoying both the process and the result. Why? I feel that it has to do with honoring students’ intrinsic need to express themselves. Self-expression is at the core of all writing, even the most formal research essay. If the writer’s passion for a subject underlies the thesis assertion, the essay will convey more powerfully and more vividly to the reader. And, the use of details and images deepens the effect because these come directly from the writer’s experience. Thus, the essay conveys as more personal and intimate.

When tutoring students as they near the end of high school, enter college, or during college, I focus on individual needs for general support and/or enrichment. One student may need help with the early conceptual part of the essay, and once that’s tackled, help with the mechanics. Once the scaffolding is in place, the young writer can often feel more confident about proceeding.

Creative writing involves similar attention to structure and discipline, along with prompts and nurturing, rigorous critique.

Fee: $30/hour

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Contact: Pam Bernard 

PO Box 963  Walpole, NH  03608    603.756.4177
Pam@PamBernard.com  / www.PamBernard.com