I have heard from many of you and am looking forward to teaching these classes and getting the chance to work with all of these students. Here are the following updates:
Woodward's 7th Grade Spring Exam Review is full. (Please let me know if you want to be on the waiting list.)
Woodward's 8th Grade Spring Exam Review has one spot left! (Please let me know as soon as possible if you want this spot.)
The 3-day Grammar/Writing Class that I am holding in June is filling rather quickly. Let me know if you want me to pencil your student in to save a spot.
Thank you
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Updates!
The 7th grade Spring Exam Review on May 22nd has one spot left, and the 8th grade Review on May 23rd has three spots left! Hope you all are doing well! Questions? Feel free to call or write me!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Woodward Spring Exam Review Information
and Summer Class Dates
I hope this finds all of you well and happy! Many of you have already contacted me about the dates and times for my upcoming exam reviews and summer workshops. This is what I have so far!
Please send me an email or voice message to hold a spot; that is all that you have to do. I do not need a deposit at this time- just your student’s name and grade level. If you are registering for a summer class, please let me know the upcoming grade level.
As of right now, these classes will be taught in Sandy Springs. I may add some classes to be taught at the Woodward campus as I did last summer.
Contact information: Marie Graham (404) 578-9047/ mariegraham1970@aol.com
www.fabuloustutoring.blogspot.com
**For detailed descriptions of any of these classes or workshops, please scroll down to the bottom of this information!**
Spring Exams:
Saturday, May 22nd, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
7th Grade history and English reviews
$200 (includes 7 hour review, review packets, all supplies, snacks, and hot lunch)
Sunday, May 23rd, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
8th Grade history and English reviews
$200 (includes 7 hour review, review packets, all supplies, snacks, and hot lunch)
All other grade levels desiring help with upcoming exams: I have the following times and dates available. Please let me know if you want to meet either individually or in small groups to study. (For example: 9th grade history or English reviews) Some of you will be exempting your exams, so I have left this schedule open.
Saturday, May 15th, (day-open)
Sunday, May 16th, (day open)
Monday, May 24th, (late afternoon to evening)
Tuesday, May 25th, (late afternoon to evening)
Wednesday, May 26th, (late afternoon to evening)
Summer Reading Test Reviews:
(All classes run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Also, please note these classes are designed to be detailed reviews and test preparation right before the students take their actual tests at Woodward. All required books should be read prior to these reviews.)
$170 (includes 6 hour review, packets, supplies, snacks, and a hot lunch)
Monday, August 2nd -12th Grade
Tuesday, August 3rd -11th Grade
Wednesday, August 4th -10th Grade
Thursday, August 5th -9th Grade
Friday, August 6th -8th Grade
Saturday, August 7th -7th Grade
Grammar/Writing Intensive Three-Day Workshop
(I usually teach at least two sections of this each summer. I am going to start with this one set of dates and add as needed. Please see the description of this class at the end of this information.)
June 28th- 30th, Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
$400 (includes 15 hours of teaching, all packets/notebook, supplies, snacks, and three hot lunches)
Short Workshop Week, Pick one or Pick Your Own Combo.!
(These workshops are designed to give concentrated and focused help in areas needing an extra boost before school starts. Please read more detailed descriptions at the end of this information.)
$140 for one workshop, $230 for two (save $40), $340 for three (save $60), and $450 for four (save $80)
(Each workshop includes 5-hour class, review packets, all supplies, snacks, and hot lunch)
Sessions run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Monday, July 26th, Conquering Punctuation Once and For All
Also includes a copy of Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero
Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Tuesday, July 27th, Reading and Responding to Literature like a Teacher
Also includes a copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and
Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
Wednesday, July 28th, Great Grammar Review (Beyond Basics)
Thursday, July 29th, Study and Test Taking Skills that Really Work
Also includes a copy of What Smart Students Know: Maximum Grades
Optimum Learning. Minimum Time.
Class Descriptions:
Spring Exam Reviews:
I always like to say up front that Woodward does spend time preparing packets and reviewing material for the students before the exams. The reviews I offer give the students an additional opportunity to spend focused and intensive time with the material that will be on the exams. I utilize many different study techniques to present and re-teach the material to help the students reach for higher grades on these comprehensive exams. The students do bring their study guides and textbooks, but I develop and provide additional guides and practice sheets to them as well. We work one-on-one and in small groups. We make posters, note cards, and mind maps. There will be power points, discussions, and practice questions.
Summer Reading Reviews:
I teach these classes purposefully close to when the students actually take the tests. I think this gives the students the greatest chance to do well. Mostly, I think these tests are important because they are the first of the new school year, and a high test grade right in the beginning of the first nine weeks helps to propel students in the right direction, boost their self esteem, and set a precedent for their success right from the beginning.
I do expect that the students have read the required books before the review. Having said that- the review is intensive. We carefully study the characters, the setting, the plot, and we practice for the test questions. I try to present each book in memorable, innovative ways, and I ask that students interact actively (rather than passively- just sitting and listening) with the material. Educational research indicates that active learning- engaged contact- with literature helps students learn and remember what they read.
Students are asked to bring a copy of each required book. I provide the rest!
Grammar/Writing Intensive Three-Day Workshop
This is the 8th year I have taught this workshop for Woodward students. It is popular, and I always look forward to teaching it every year. Because it is common for people to attend more than one year in a row, I rework most of the material so that it is fresh.
Grammar is usually taught methodically in private schools. It is arranged from the ground up, starting with the parts of speech and building into recognizing and using phrases and clauses correctly. Once all of that is mastered, most students are able to understand complicated punctuation rules and more frustrating tasks like subject/verb agreement. A problem occurs, though, when a piece of the foundation is missing or shaky. A student becomes confused somewhere along the way, and then the year of grammar and writing becomes much harder than it needs to be. This workshop starts with the basics then goes on to the more complex grammatical concepts that are expected of the students at Woodward Academy and other private schools.
The writing portion of this workshop focuses on crafting excellent sentences, paragraphs, and then essays. The focus is initially on the existing structure as it is currently being taught; it is important that first the student understands the basic format. After that, I move on to varying sentence type and structure to make writing and reading more interesting. Thirdly, I model the actual method of writing: how to brainstorm in a variety of manners, organize thoughts with different forms of outlining, show the students how to think through the writing process as one actually accomplishes it, and finally how to revise without losing the essence of what one wrote.
Conquering Punctuation Once and For All:
Most papers are graded for both “Content” and for “Mechanics.” Even if the paper has wonderful ideas, the structure, which includes directions, grammar, and punctuation, can make a huge difference in the grade that is received. More often than not, the mistakes involve punctuation, and these mistakes, if not understood and corrected, can follow the students through middle school all the way through college- and even into adulthood. Why not just master punctuation once and for all? We will be using the fabulous book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. A paperback copy of this book is included in the tuition and is a funny, irreverent way to learn and remember punctuation. This book will be a great reference for the upcoming year!
Reading and Responding to Literature Like a Teacher
Each year in English classes all of the country, students are asked to read, interpret, analyze, and write papers on virtually every form of literature. They are asked repeatedly, “What is the author trying to say?” and “Back up your answer with proof from the short story or the novel or even the poem.” Students are horrified. Do teachers have a secret system, surreptitious guides given to them by authors? No, of course not. But teachers do know that great works of literature contain many hidden themes, symbols, and meanings, all waiting to be discovered and understood. A copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines is the text included and used in this class. This book (and class) will help each student understand better what they read and enjoy the experience more because their breadth of understanding will deepen. This class is appropriate for 7-12th, but it is a more advanced class. I would recommend it more for the high schoolers.
Great Grammar Review (Beyond Basics)
This is really a shortened version of my three-day grammar/writing workshop I teach earlier in the summer. I use the same materials and present the grammar in interesting, innovative ways. I love teaching grammar, and I find that students can easily tell whether you enjoy what you are teaching. I use a variety of sources, but because I taught at Woodward, I follow the basic structure of their English programs. Remember that the grammar is the same each year- the same 8 parts of speech, the same types of clauses- Better to understand this material now, then to wait and struggle all year!
Study and Test Taking Skills that Really Work
Sometimes, it not that the student needs to work longer or even harder, it is that the student needs to work smarter… Learning how to learn is perhaps the greatest lesson of education. Each student needs to be able to teach him or herself material and have the ability to retain it. Realistically, the students often have 4 core academic classes concurrently (science, math, history, and English), plus elective classes; the workload, if not managed, can get completely out of hand. This class presents effective, proven techniques to minimize stress during the year by helping the students learn how to study and retain material. A copy of What Smart Students Know: Maximum Grades. Optimum Learning. Minimum Time is included and is another great reference book to have on hand.
and Summer Class Dates
I hope this finds all of you well and happy! Many of you have already contacted me about the dates and times for my upcoming exam reviews and summer workshops. This is what I have so far!
Please send me an email or voice message to hold a spot; that is all that you have to do. I do not need a deposit at this time- just your student’s name and grade level. If you are registering for a summer class, please let me know the upcoming grade level.
As of right now, these classes will be taught in Sandy Springs. I may add some classes to be taught at the Woodward campus as I did last summer.
Contact information: Marie Graham (404) 578-9047/ mariegraham1970@aol.com
www.fabuloustutoring.blogspot.com
**For detailed descriptions of any of these classes or workshops, please scroll down to the bottom of this information!**
Spring Exams:
Saturday, May 22nd, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
7th Grade history and English reviews
$200 (includes 7 hour review, review packets, all supplies, snacks, and hot lunch)
Sunday, May 23rd, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
8th Grade history and English reviews
$200 (includes 7 hour review, review packets, all supplies, snacks, and hot lunch)
All other grade levels desiring help with upcoming exams: I have the following times and dates available. Please let me know if you want to meet either individually or in small groups to study. (For example: 9th grade history or English reviews) Some of you will be exempting your exams, so I have left this schedule open.
Saturday, May 15th, (day-open)
Sunday, May 16th, (day open)
Monday, May 24th, (late afternoon to evening)
Tuesday, May 25th, (late afternoon to evening)
Wednesday, May 26th, (late afternoon to evening)
Summer Reading Test Reviews:
(All classes run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Also, please note these classes are designed to be detailed reviews and test preparation right before the students take their actual tests at Woodward. All required books should be read prior to these reviews.)
$170 (includes 6 hour review, packets, supplies, snacks, and a hot lunch)
Monday, August 2nd -12th Grade
Tuesday, August 3rd -11th Grade
Wednesday, August 4th -10th Grade
Thursday, August 5th -9th Grade
Friday, August 6th -8th Grade
Saturday, August 7th -7th Grade
Grammar/Writing Intensive Three-Day Workshop
(I usually teach at least two sections of this each summer. I am going to start with this one set of dates and add as needed. Please see the description of this class at the end of this information.)
June 28th- 30th, Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
$400 (includes 15 hours of teaching, all packets/notebook, supplies, snacks, and three hot lunches)
Short Workshop Week, Pick one or Pick Your Own Combo.!
(These workshops are designed to give concentrated and focused help in areas needing an extra boost before school starts. Please read more detailed descriptions at the end of this information.)
$140 for one workshop, $230 for two (save $40), $340 for three (save $60), and $450 for four (save $80)
(Each workshop includes 5-hour class, review packets, all supplies, snacks, and hot lunch)
Sessions run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Monday, July 26th, Conquering Punctuation Once and For All
Also includes a copy of Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero
Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Tuesday, July 27th, Reading and Responding to Literature like a Teacher
Also includes a copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and
Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
Wednesday, July 28th, Great Grammar Review (Beyond Basics)
Thursday, July 29th, Study and Test Taking Skills that Really Work
Also includes a copy of What Smart Students Know: Maximum Grades
Optimum Learning. Minimum Time.
Class Descriptions:
Spring Exam Reviews:
I always like to say up front that Woodward does spend time preparing packets and reviewing material for the students before the exams. The reviews I offer give the students an additional opportunity to spend focused and intensive time with the material that will be on the exams. I utilize many different study techniques to present and re-teach the material to help the students reach for higher grades on these comprehensive exams. The students do bring their study guides and textbooks, but I develop and provide additional guides and practice sheets to them as well. We work one-on-one and in small groups. We make posters, note cards, and mind maps. There will be power points, discussions, and practice questions.
Summer Reading Reviews:
I teach these classes purposefully close to when the students actually take the tests. I think this gives the students the greatest chance to do well. Mostly, I think these tests are important because they are the first of the new school year, and a high test grade right in the beginning of the first nine weeks helps to propel students in the right direction, boost their self esteem, and set a precedent for their success right from the beginning.
I do expect that the students have read the required books before the review. Having said that- the review is intensive. We carefully study the characters, the setting, the plot, and we practice for the test questions. I try to present each book in memorable, innovative ways, and I ask that students interact actively (rather than passively- just sitting and listening) with the material. Educational research indicates that active learning- engaged contact- with literature helps students learn and remember what they read.
Students are asked to bring a copy of each required book. I provide the rest!
Grammar/Writing Intensive Three-Day Workshop
This is the 8th year I have taught this workshop for Woodward students. It is popular, and I always look forward to teaching it every year. Because it is common for people to attend more than one year in a row, I rework most of the material so that it is fresh.
Grammar is usually taught methodically in private schools. It is arranged from the ground up, starting with the parts of speech and building into recognizing and using phrases and clauses correctly. Once all of that is mastered, most students are able to understand complicated punctuation rules and more frustrating tasks like subject/verb agreement. A problem occurs, though, when a piece of the foundation is missing or shaky. A student becomes confused somewhere along the way, and then the year of grammar and writing becomes much harder than it needs to be. This workshop starts with the basics then goes on to the more complex grammatical concepts that are expected of the students at Woodward Academy and other private schools.
The writing portion of this workshop focuses on crafting excellent sentences, paragraphs, and then essays. The focus is initially on the existing structure as it is currently being taught; it is important that first the student understands the basic format. After that, I move on to varying sentence type and structure to make writing and reading more interesting. Thirdly, I model the actual method of writing: how to brainstorm in a variety of manners, organize thoughts with different forms of outlining, show the students how to think through the writing process as one actually accomplishes it, and finally how to revise without losing the essence of what one wrote.
Conquering Punctuation Once and For All:
Most papers are graded for both “Content” and for “Mechanics.” Even if the paper has wonderful ideas, the structure, which includes directions, grammar, and punctuation, can make a huge difference in the grade that is received. More often than not, the mistakes involve punctuation, and these mistakes, if not understood and corrected, can follow the students through middle school all the way through college- and even into adulthood. Why not just master punctuation once and for all? We will be using the fabulous book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. A paperback copy of this book is included in the tuition and is a funny, irreverent way to learn and remember punctuation. This book will be a great reference for the upcoming year!
Reading and Responding to Literature Like a Teacher
Each year in English classes all of the country, students are asked to read, interpret, analyze, and write papers on virtually every form of literature. They are asked repeatedly, “What is the author trying to say?” and “Back up your answer with proof from the short story or the novel or even the poem.” Students are horrified. Do teachers have a secret system, surreptitious guides given to them by authors? No, of course not. But teachers do know that great works of literature contain many hidden themes, symbols, and meanings, all waiting to be discovered and understood. A copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines is the text included and used in this class. This book (and class) will help each student understand better what they read and enjoy the experience more because their breadth of understanding will deepen. This class is appropriate for 7-12th, but it is a more advanced class. I would recommend it more for the high schoolers.
Great Grammar Review (Beyond Basics)
This is really a shortened version of my three-day grammar/writing workshop I teach earlier in the summer. I use the same materials and present the grammar in interesting, innovative ways. I love teaching grammar, and I find that students can easily tell whether you enjoy what you are teaching. I use a variety of sources, but because I taught at Woodward, I follow the basic structure of their English programs. Remember that the grammar is the same each year- the same 8 parts of speech, the same types of clauses- Better to understand this material now, then to wait and struggle all year!
Study and Test Taking Skills that Really Work
Sometimes, it not that the student needs to work longer or even harder, it is that the student needs to work smarter… Learning how to learn is perhaps the greatest lesson of education. Each student needs to be able to teach him or herself material and have the ability to retain it. Realistically, the students often have 4 core academic classes concurrently (science, math, history, and English), plus elective classes; the workload, if not managed, can get completely out of hand. This class presents effective, proven techniques to minimize stress during the year by helping the students learn how to study and retain material. A copy of What Smart Students Know: Maximum Grades. Optimum Learning. Minimum Time is included and is another great reference book to have on hand.
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