My Approach as a Writing Coach
I coach students to develop writing skills that serve them for the rest of their lives.
My work as a coach is grounded by two foundational beliefs:
All successful writing begins with deep thinking.
Everyone can learn new skills when supported, engaged, and thoughtfully challenged.
This is why my relationship with students comes first. There is no singular technique for learning to read insightfully, think deeply, or write clearly; every person has their own distinct educational path. There is one experience, however, that is shared by all my students: when they feel seen and supported in a holistic way, our work together takes on a synchronous focus. This opens their minds to deep curiosity and creativity. It’s thrilling to watch students develop these mining tools for original thinking and expression. This, along with the experience of practice, is how they come to gain confidence and independence as writers.
My academic students become:·
active readers and critical thinkers, who understand complex ideas.
master brainstormers, who develop strong and original claims.
highly-organized and powerful writers, who prove their assertions with clarity.
My creative students learn:·
literary techniques used by published authors.
strategies for expanding their expression and creativity.
tools for critiquing, revising, and polishing their work.
“As a Learning Center Director with a list of over 30 tutors who work on writing and organization, Jane is the first person I turn to when students need help. Jane is incredibly talented at determining what each student needs and at delivering that support so all of her students succeed. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
—Paula R, Learning Center Director
“When we decided to send our daughter to a STEM high school, I was concerned that her writing would suffer. Jane’s one-on-one attention eventually yielded something no school could ever provide: a personalized process for writing that has led her to both deeper thinking and improved essay organization. Her grades on writing assignments are proof of her learning. With Jane’s thoughtful tutoring, our daughter is gaining 21st Century skills in every subject! Next year, she’ll be working on college entrance essays with Jane.”
—Ayala D., Parent
“Our son son, an advanced student who was doing very well at school, wanted to be challenged in new ways. Because English isn’t our first language, my husband and I could not help him. Jane taught him to improve his analytical skills for English and history classes. As a published writer, she also taught our son the finer points of writing that weren’t covered in his accelerated classes. Schools don’t always provide enrichment opportunities, but Jane’s one-on-one coaching has no limits. Thank you!”
—Xiang H., Parent
“I can’t thank Jane enough for the thoughtful tutoring she provided to my daughter. Jane's approach to analytical thinking, essay structure, and essay organization helped my daughter develop the skills she needed to succeed—both in a competitive high school and in college. Thanks to the solid foundation that Jane fostered, I’m thrilled to report that my daughter’s writing skills have continued to grow in college, enabling her to pursue her choice of a challenging, professional field of study.”
—Amanda S., Parent
“More than 20 years have passed since I last wrote an academic paper; Jane's compassionate and practical approach gave me the tools and confidence I needed to complete writing assignments and receive great grades! She took the time to understand my strengths and challenges, then provided me with creative, structured approaches to writing, tailored to my specific needs. When it came to reviewing my early drafts, Jane was incredibly insightful and supportive. I strongly recommend her to anyone who needs writing assistance for graduate studies.”
— Lauren S., Graduate School Student
“I was excited to return to grad school to prepare for a new career path; it didn’t take long, however, before I was overwhelmed by graduate school’s writing demands. Jane took the time to understand my strengths and challenges, and created a structured approach to writing, tailored to my needs. With her support, I learned to hone and present my best ideas more clearly than ever before. Now I’m heading into my dream career.”
-Chris W., Graduate School Student
“I’m not sure I would have made it through graduate school without Jane. Working with her provided me with the support, comfort, and, eventually the confidence, to skillfully present myself in writing! Jane’s coaching enabled me to focus on the content of my courses, rather than my fear about my ability as a writer.”
—Elizabeth T., Graduate School Student
“Writing wasn’t my favorite task when I was an undergrad, so I didn’t expect it to be a breeze 15 years later. After years of being the stay-at-home parent in my family, I needed to brush up on skills to return to the job marketplace. While I explored a couple of different arenas through continuing ed classes, Jane taught me skills I didn’t have before. Now I’m back in the working world and loving it.”
—Jennifer L., Non-Profit Director
“Teachers in my school have very little time to meet individually with students. That’s why I asked my parents for a tutor. I started working on homework with Jane three years ago. Over time, writing changed from a chore to something I enjoy—a huge surprise! Last summer, we even worked on a creative writing project that was published in my school e-zine. Now that I’m a junior, we’re working on summer internship letters, my resume, and getting ready for college applications. Jane became so much more than a writing tutor; she’s a coach who wants me to succeed.”
-Sarah R., 11th grade student
“Jane began working with our daughter as a tutor, and became a mentor. In addition to teaching how to organize and pace assignments better, Jane also helped her think in new ways. Our daughter now comes to writing with enthusiasm instead of anxiety. (And that has reduced our stress as well.) The icing on the cake: our daughter’s English teacher was “blown away” by her work, and encouraged her to pursue higher-level writing courses.”
–Eli G., Parent
“I am a firm believer in the importance of writing and communication skills, no matter what career our son (who is considering engineering) eventually chooses. Jane has a special way of describing essay structure to students with mathematically-oriented brains. She also focuses on the areas where our son needs the most development, ensuring that he gives writing assignments his best effort. With her thoughtful instruction, our son is gaining new skills that will enhance both his education and his future.”
—Anika S., Parent
“We are thrilled with our son’s improved writing and organizational skills. Jane has been crucial in the development of his ability to order his thought processes, craft outlines, and expand on ideas in his writing. His grades have improved significantly. Most importantly, Jane helped him understand his specific strengths and weaknesses and how to work effectively with these. He established a great rapport with her in a short time, and became enthusiastic about working on his writing. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with a coach of her caliber.”
— Jacqui H., Parent
“Jane’s experience and approach immediately resonated with our high schooler. As soon as the two of them spoke, I saw years of resistance to accepting extra help just evaporate. What's made a big difference is the way that Jane closely observes and utilizes all the strengths our student brings to school work, rather than focusing on the things that make writing such a challenge. With her guidance, our teenager is now working with many new strategies, and turning in thoughtful writing that couldn't be completed before. We're so grateful for Jane's dedication. Every kid should be so fortunate to work with her.”
—A.B., Parent