As a writing tutor, my main goal is to help students communicate their ideas clearly, effectively, grammatically, and originally. I also hope to share (and spread) my own enthusiasm for writing. Sometimes I help with homework assignments, but when I’m hired to boost overall writing skills, I get to create my own assignments!
This summer I’m working with two brothers whose native language is not English. As I usually do, I’ve been asking them what they would like to write about, and they’ve come up with lots of ideas for fiction and non-fiction. In the context of their writing, we go over pesky verb tenses and annoying articles. I always sympathize with the difficulties of learning rule-defying English. It’s great to see both boys’ progress, but best of all, to see that, like me, they are thoroughly enjoying the process of writing…and revising!
They’re excited to show me what they’ve written, which is often many pages. And their mother tells me they eagerly wait for my arrival. Recently, one of them was busy studying for a test but chose not to miss our writing session. Another day his brother was exhausted from a very long day at camp but insisted on meeting with me anyway. Sweet music to my ears was the 11 year old’s comment: “The time is up already? It always goes so fast when you’re here.”
I left the house on cloud 10. 
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