Roberta - English tutor - Vancouver
1st lesson free
Roberta - English tutor - Vancouver

Roberta's profile and contact details have been verified by our team

Roberta

  • Rate R524
  • Response 1h
  • Students

    Number of students Roberta has accompanied since joining Superprof

    50+

    Number of students Roberta has accompanied since joining Superprof

Roberta - English tutor - Vancouver
  • 5 (11 reviews)

R524/h

1st lesson free

Contact

1st lesson free

1st lesson free

  • English
  • Reading
  • Grammar
  • Creative writing
  • Redaction

Roberta Staley, MA, has taught magazine writing at the post-secondary level, tutors high school students in English, and supports undergrad and graduate university students in their studies.

  • English
  • Reading
  • Grammar
  • Creative writing
  • Redaction

Lesson location

Super Tutor

Roberta is one of our best English tutors. High-quality profile, qualifications verified, organised and responsive to lesson requests, and appreciated by their students.

About Roberta

I have been a college and university educator for 11 years and a journalist for more than two decades. I realized many years ago that a strong command of the written word is the most effective way to grow and flourish as a student, scholar, communicator or influencer. In 2017, I attained a master’s degree from Simon Fraser University, receiving the Ewan Clark Memorial Award in Graduate Liberal Studies. For graduation, I undertook not only a written thesis but a documentary that was shot in Afghanistan. Titled Mightier Than the Sword, the award-winning film, which has been screened at festivals around the world, explored the influence of Afghan female journalists on gender norms in Afghanistan. The film led to the creation of an award-winning biography, published in 2019 by Greystone Books, titled Voice of Rebellion – How Mozhdah Jamalzadah Brought Hope to Afghanistan. I hold a BA in political science from the University of Calgary and a journalism diploma from Grant MacEwan College. I continue to teach magazine writing at Douglas College in New Westminster, BC. (concealed information)

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About the lesson

  • Secondary
  • Matric/GCSE
  • BTech
  • +2
  • levels :

    Secondary

    Matric/GCSE

    BTech

    Adult education

    Masters

  • English

Languages in which the lesson is available :

English

Today’s high school and university students are heirs to a world in flux; they need to absorb information quickly and critically analyze it. Next, they must present their unique perspective about the world with clarity and style. This may be in the form of a high school paper, a university entrance essay, a research paper or thesis, blog, magazine article, podcast or book. Initially, starting such projects may seem overwhelming, but by learning the techniques of planning, structuring, writing and self-editing, success is assured. I work one-on-one with students online. (I am based in Vancouver, BC.) Instruction includes reading and analyzing assigned novels as well as essay assignment prep. I consult with the student’s English school instructor and/or counselor to establish learning objectives. I then create highly structured lesson plans, an explanation of the lesson objectives, and list the activities used to reach the objective. I support the strategy of activating background knowledge, engaging students in activities that bridge their existing knowledge with new knowledge. This helps them to connect current readings to their existing knowledge, helping make new readings more engaging and interesting. I encourage students to frame analytical and research questions before and after reading to enhance comprehension. For example, questions might include: "what are the facts that are being mentioned" and "what does the author want me to understand from this material?" Analyzing text structure is also part of my teaching, as understanding how writers organize their material is key to greater comprehension. I also encourage students to visualize the material they are reading as pictures, diagrams or structural images. This, too, assists with enhanced comprehension. Summarizing the day's lesson assists with comprehension and understanding, and allows the student space to ask questions that they may have felt uncomfortable asking earlier in the lesson. It also teaches a student to condense main ideas and connect major themes, while distilling these into succinct conclusions. When it comes to writing, I teach narrative arc, hooks, themes and the creation of sympathetic characters. I also teach the use of archetypes, alliteration, humor, personal experience, allegory, metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. Grammar and vocabulary are part of the instruction, as is building sentences and paragraphs with an ear to rhythm, variety, impact and tone. I also emphasize that a key part of writing is knowing what to leave in and what to leave out: “a story has everything that is needed and nothing that isn’t.” This is accomplished by having students write about non-fiction issues that are important to them, creative writing (fiction stories), as well as analysis of texts, novels and academic assignments, such as social studies papers. All this can be perceived as difficult, and thus can only be accomplished through encouragement, support and diplomatic guidance, as a student's confidence and love of writing must be nurtured in order for learning to occur.

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Rates

Rate

  • R524

Package rates

  • 5h: R2622
  • 10h: R5243

online

  • R524/h

free lesson

The free first lesson with Roberta allows you to get to know the tutor and discuss your needs and expectations.

  • 1h

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