Tutor Feature: Alina S.
Although Alina is relatively new to us, she is an extremely valuable member of our teaching team. Alina is detail oriented, but does not lose sight of the big picture. She is thoughtful, caring, and deeply invested in student growth and wellness.
About Alina
Alina graduated summa cum laude from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in English/creative writing. An award-winning author of five books and a TEDx speaker, she is also a member of the South Bay Tutors and Educational Therapists Network and the National Tutoring Association. She taught middle and high school English at Fusion Academy, primarily to students with learning differences such as ADHD, ASD, and dyslexia. In addition, she has created individualized classes for homeschoolers and has privately tutored students from second grade through college. Since 2011, Alina has tutored in any writing-related subject, but her specialties are essay and story writing, critical reading, grammar, college admissions essays, and study skills. Alina believes in being an encouraging mentor as well as a tutor, and she sees the potential of every student to achieve their goals. Additionally, Alina is certified to teach the Tutor Corps study skills curriculum. When she isn’t tutoring, she might be found hiking, cooking, working on her next book, or feeding vegetables to her dog, Hamlet.
When Did You Start Teaching and Why?
I've been teaching since I was three years old, when my baby brother was born and I decided he had a lot to learn about life. On a more professional level, one of my first jobs was in the tutoring center of my local community college. Since then I've taught in many different settings and contexts. I love to learn, and teaching allows me to share that love with my students--turning fear of new material into confidence, mastery, and even excitement!
What’s Your Favorite Subject to Teach and Why?
While all writing is powerful, I'm especially partial to teaching creative writing. Whether the stories come from imagination or reality, I love seeing students' creativity flourish.
What are Your Top Three Book Recommendations?
This is a hard one! A few of my all-time favorite novels include:
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
What is Your Favorite Activity To Do Outside of Teaching?
I know it might sound weird when I spend my days talking about books, but I really love to read in my free time. Books can be an escape from real life, but they can also give you new perspective and empathy, which are some of the most important real-life skills a person can have. Plus I love to travel, and books are cheaper than plane tickets!
Do You Have Any Advice for Students or Parents for How to Prevent Summer Learning Loss? What Is the Best Advice You've Ever Received?
To be honest, I think learning is so much more than what happens in the classroom, so I actually view summer as a fabulous time for learning gain. Visit new places, be observant, ask questions. Read books for fun. Keep a journal of your adventures. Have interesting conversations. While these may not all be traditional classroom activities, they will absolutely build a bank of new ideas and word skills that will lead to great writing in the future.
Thank you Alina for all of the amazing work that you do with your students. We appreciate you!
If you are interested in live 1:1 tutoring support and working with Alina or one of our other amazing tutors, please contact us!