State-Of-The-Art Educational Approach
“Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other.”
–William Zinsser, On Writing Well
“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.”
–David McCullough, Author
Through my 20-plus years as an education researcher and writer as well as my training and work in counseling psychology, I have discovered an enormous amount about how people learn and what makes the processes of learning and communicating both meaningful and successful. I bring all of this knowledge and experience to helping students find out what they need to know. This includes working with students on how to access information and how to apply and communicate that information clearly and and thoughtfully. In the process, my students always learn a great deal about both the subject matter and who they are as individuals and as learners.
MY APPROACH TO WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING ASSUMPTIONS:
People of all ages learn best when they are comfortable, engaged and have opportunities to demonstrate competence and creativity. In my roles as both a tutor and college consultant, building relationships with students and families based on trust and mutual respect is always paramount.
Critical thinking is at the heart of learning and it can be taught. The most important elements of critical thinking are recognizing a problem to be solved, posing questions, trying out hypotheses, gathering and analyzing information and formulating arguments. Whether I am working with a student with reading challenges or one who is writing college application essays, my approach always revolves around promoting and modeling critical thinking skills.
Writing is not only the result of critical thinking, but is critical thinking in action. Or, as the renowned author of On Writing Well, William Zinsser, put it, “Writing is thinking on paper.”
Rewriting and revising are also critical learning processes. The more students write, revise and rewrite, the clearer their writing and the sharper their thinking.
Learning requires both explanation and modeling, but modeling is more important. Most often, my time with students revolves around questions—mine, not theirs! By modeling the process of asking questions and sorting through possible solutions, students learn a set of thinking skills that will bolster their ability to learn and problem-solve throughout their lives.