Prepare your child for the 21st century with professional ELA tutoring (grades 6 - 12)!
Summer Group Classes
Avoid the "summer slide" with structured group classes, led by a certified 7-12 ELA educator with 10+ years of experience!
- Regular reading practice during the summer prevents loss of school-year gains.
- Small group sizes (10 or less) keep your child engaged and participating!
- Classes focus on relevant discussions about real-world issues that will get your child thinking deeply!
- Without the pressure of grades or worksheets, your child’s focus is on LEARNING.
- Engaging story choices remind your child that reading is fun and meaningful.
Talking About Technology
How does technology change our human experience? In the digital age, how do we define our humanity and our values?
July 6 – 9, 10:00am-11:00am (ages 10-13) and 11:30am-12:30pm (ages 14-17)
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 10-13
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 14-17
How We Treat Others
What does it mean to show kindness, and why do we choose it? When and why do we withhold our kindness? How do we justify the mistreatment of others?
July 20-23, 10:00am-11:00am (ages 10-13) and 11:30am-12:30pm (ages 14-17)
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 10-13
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 14-17
Building a Better Society
In a world that is often unjust, how do we work up the courage to fight for what we believe is right?
August 3-6, 10:00am-11:00am (ages 10-13) and 11:30am-12:30pm (ages 14-17)
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 10-13
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 14-17
How We See Ourselves
What are the stories that we tell about ourselves? Why do we tell these stories, and how can those stories help us — or hurt us?
August 10-13, 10:00am-11:00am (ages 10-13) and 11:30am-12:30pm (ages 14-17)
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 10-13
Click here to see the texts and course description for ages 14-17
Novel Exchanges classes focus on three core skills: reading, writing, and speaking. These skills are intertwined: when we read, we discover ideas worth speaking about; when we speak about them with others, we clarify our thoughts — and then we write them.
I teach students 6 questions they ask themselves while reading in order to understand and analyze the text, and I teach 4 writing moves to help students organize their writing clearly. Using consistent frameworks that students can rely on (regardless of the type of text or their grade level) helps students to become independent learners. Instead of relying on a teacher to guide them through a text, students have a tool that they can use to tackle challenging reading and writing.
Private Tutoring
What I Do
- Determine your child’s interests + goals with a free consultation.
- Assess your child’s reading + writing abilities to determine their skill level.
- Develop your child’s critical reading, writing, and research skills.
- Use technology to improve your child’s digital literacy.
- Teach the value of productive struggle. Build your child’s inner strength.
- Tailor lessons to your child’s passions, including (but not limited to): entrepreneurship, creative writing, social impact projects, U.S. and world history, philosophy and logic, speech and debate, poetry, fiction, and theatre.
My Qualifications
BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College. Graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude.
MS in Education from Johns Hopkins. Dual certified in 7-12 ELA and Special Education.
AP English literature certified.
6 years of “highly effective” teaching experience in Baltimore City Public Schools.
4 years of college writing tutoring experience.
2 years of project-based curriculum design experience.
Group Writing Tutoring
Join a small group analytical writing class designed to teach your child to improve their grammar and sentence-level writing skills, organize their thoughts clearly using 4 distinct moves, and analyze evidence to support their claims.
In each class, students will break down a sentence using a 4-level grammar spiral, then read and analyze a short text that they will then write about. I will demonstrate different writing skills, then students will be tasked with completing a writing assignment independently and submitting it for feedback. I will provide extensive individual feedback on their work, and we will spend a portion of the next class analyzing their writing and how it can be improved.
This class is intended for students who are looking to improve their writing’s clarity and depth, and who are willing to put in the necessary work (with support) to do so! Recommended age range: 13-17
Questions? Interested in scheduling a session?
Email jesse@novelexchanges.com or text 443-792-9813.
Tell me your child’s age, ability level, and interests. I’ll respond within 24 hours with an invitation to schedule your free consultation!
Private tutoring virtual rate: $65/hr
Private tutoring in-person rate: $80/hr
Rate includes all prep work to create individualized lessons aligned with your child’s interests and passions, as well as feedback post-session detailing your child’s areas of strength and growth from the lesson and any next steps for their independent work. Discounted rates available for lengthier sessions and/or group tutoring.
My philosophy of education
I believe that we are born with an inherent curiosity and desire to learn about the world around us. As a teacher and tutor, my role is to guide my students as they explore their passions and support them as they develop the skills to pursue their dreams. I agree with Franscisco Ferrer, the founder of the Modern School in Spain, who said: “All the value of education rests in the respect for the physical, intellectual, and moral will of the child…the real educator is…he who can best appeal to the child’s own energies.”
Too often, schools use a “1-size fits all” curriculum model that requires all students to do the same thing at the same time. As a private tutor, I devote my entire attention to your child’s growth. First and foremost, my goal is to understand what the children I work with want from their educational experience. My education (BA in Literary Studies at Middlebury College, MS in Education at Johns Hopkins), combined with my 6 years in public school education, has given me the ability to assess your child’s skills and create learning activities that will take them to the next level of critical thinking, reading, and writing — through stories, history, and projects that align with their interests.
