Todd

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Todd is an experienced English and writing tutor with over twenty-five years of teaching experience. He holds a B.A. in Theater Arts and English from Cal Poly Pomona and has taught students from elementary through college. Todd specializes in creative writing, grammar, and literary analysis, tailoring each lesson to fit a student’s personality and learning style. He has worked extensively with students with ADHD, dyslexia, and autism, often integrating music, visual imagery, and humor to make learning engaging. A published playwright and lifelong traveler, he draws inspiration from art, film, and nature to help students express themselves authentically.

Monday-12:00pm-7:00pm EST
Tuesday 12:00pm-7:00pm EST
Wednesday12:00pm-7:00pm EST
Thursday12:00pm-7:00pm EST
Friday12:00pm-7:00pm EST

My approach varies depending on the student. Each child (or adult) is a unique individual. As I develop a rapport with a student, and gain a better understanding of his or her strengths and personality, I can then develop the best method to reach him or her. As an English and Writing teacher, I start with the basics: grammar, sentence structure, sentence variety, paragraph & essay organization, different types of writing, literary analysis. I want to make sure my students have the tools to excel in school.But I also make my lessons more personalized, with a focus on the student's goals and talents. I encourage my students to think and to express themselves honestly. My aim is to not just help a student academically, but to help that individual do well in life. In addition, I try to make my lessons fun.

Cal Poly, Pomona (Education Credential Program) 1992-1993
Cal Poly, Pomona (BA Theater Arts/English) Graduated 1990
Cal State Long Beach (English/Creative Writing) 1986-1987
Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA. (AA Theater Arts/Music) Graduated 1986

I have been teaching on the elementary through high school levels for more than 25 years. I have been private tutoring since 2002 and have been doing it online since 2020.

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Todd
$64.00 USD

Subject Expertise

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Creative Writing
Creative Writing
Creativity
Creativity
ELA
ELA
ESL
ESL
Humanities
Humanities
Writing
Writing

My mission

I love working with children, and people of all ages, helping them gain confidence in their writing, and in themselves. My goal is to help children do well in school, but far more than that, to help them follow their own passions and interests, and to do well in life. There is nothing more gratifying than to help an individual discover his or her own unique path in life, and to encourage that student's personal growth. I teach my students the academic concepts they'll need to excel, but I also teach them to think, to question, to explore, and to express themselves creatively and honestly.

My Story

I currently live in the Los Angeles area. I was born and raised in Southern California, though my parents were both originally from the east coast (my mom from NYC and my dad from Boston). I spent a great deal of time in New York over the years. I am a published author and performed playwright. Moreover, I have traveled to many countries, including time spent in the Amazon Jungle and the jungles of Central America, as well as numerous trips to Europe and periods living in Germany. When i was in college, I had a professor named Mr. Eastman who encouraged me with my writing. His enthusiasm and support made me think that his tastes were very similar to my own. Only later did I learn that this was not exactly the case. Rather than imposing his own personal views upon me, he took an approach where it wasn't about him, but about his student. It was about what my interests were, and what I was trying to accomplish, and about how Mr. Eastman could best help me get to where I was trying to go. His approach left an indelible mark on me, and greatly influenced the way I have always tried approach my students, no matter what age they are.

Cognitive Diversity

How I adapt to students with diverse intellectual needs.

My approach varies depending upon the student's strengths and personality. If a student is advanced, I develop a plan that will interest and challenge that individual. Moreover, I have worked with students who have learning challenges, such as dyslexia. With those students, I find their strengths. I constantly encourage and reinforce their intelligence, while finding the best way to help them overcome hurdles. I have also worked with students who are mildly autistic.One such student I began to realize had trouble with verbal instructions and concepts. However, he did well with visual imagery and music. So I taught him through songs and images. Again, every individual is unique, and requires a personalized approach.

I have worked with some truly gifted students. Again, every child is unique, and I tap into that child's strengths and interests, finding the best way to challenge him or her.

I have worked with several students with ADHD. Again, each was different, but, in general, I found it best to work one on one, presenting a little bit of information at a time. Working with ADHD students online is more of a challenge, but I do my best to keep things interactive and interesting, while finding positive ways to help the student stay focused.

I have worked with a few students who were on the autism spectrum. Each student was different. One responded well to music and visual images, so I brought in some of my drums and we drummed away, creating songs that helped him learn math and grammar. And I made sure to present concepts to him in the form of images or songs, rather than simply verbally.

I have worked with students challenged by Dyslexia. I recognize the students' strengths and intelligence, and constantly remind them that they are incredibly smart, but simply see things in a slightly different manner, which is actually positive, even though it can be challenging. I reinforce the strengths and try to find the best approaches to help a student deal with his or her challenges.

Todd Sample Lesson

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