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About
37 YEARS TEACHING COLLEGE ENGLISH
REMOTE STUDENTS WELCOME
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY - MEET AT LOCAL LIBRARIES IN DANVILLE, WALNUT CREEK, PLEASANT HILL, MARTINEZ
HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE ENGLISH to CAPSTONE COACHING
I have taught college English composition and literature classes for 37 years. I have privately tutored high school students whose parents had almost given up on them. And now these young men and women are enjoying college. I have worked with adults struggling to learn basic English who now comfortably converse with American colleagues and friends. I have coached graduate students who now have their Ph.d or Master’s.
Each student has unique learning styles and strengths. Understanding and using your unique skills and learning style is how we succeed as teacher and learner.
MAKE YOUR WRITING PROJECT OUTSTANDING
Give me an interesting (or even not-so-interesting) topic and I will find joy in writing about it. Give me a poorly written draft and I will enliven it, crisp it up, enrich it, and organize it down to the bone. And of course, it will be grammatically flawless.
Need a good speech? Done. A Grant proposal? Yep. Short story editing. Poems. Long, arduous theses or dissertations. I edit and revise it all—successfully. We can start at the beginning, or from your well-crafted manuscript.
My prices are kept low because I am retired and work only on projects I enjoy and believe in—that’s my reward for years of hard work.
My website shows Portfolios of some of my writing, including technical, fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Check it out.
Overview
Hired 32 times
Background checked
1 employee
11 years in business
Business hours
Sun10:00 am - 10:00 pmMon10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Payment methods
This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, PayPal, and Venmo.
Services offered
Work location
I travel to my customers
I work remotely (phone or internet)
Projects and media
Projects and media
Reviews
Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, responsiveness, and professionalism.
Exceptional 5.0
25 reviews
5
100%
4
0%
3
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2
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1
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Your trust means everything to us. Learn about our review guidelines.
Read reviews that mention:
Suman s.
Mar 13, 2017
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Hired on Thumbtack
Laura was kind, patient, and a great mentor to my daughter. My daughter adored her, and the two of them made great progress in their time together. She works very hard with her students and she has depth knowledge about the subject. I definitely recommend Laura to anyone looking for a English guidance!
Reading and Writing Tutoring
Laurine C.
May 22, 2018
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Hired on Thumbtack
It’s a pleasure learning every week with Laura whether we meet at the library, the coffee shop or go for a walk! She is an amazing teacher who quickly identify the area I need to develop and provide the support I need to make good progresses. I strongly recommend her to anyone who would like to learn a new language.
ESL (English as a Second Language) Lessons
Anadee N.
Oct 10, 2016
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Hired on Thumbtack
Laura is an exceptional teacher. She is patient and knowledgeable. English is my secondlanguage and Laura was helpful and patient throughout. She is very organized and easy to communicate with. Laura provided valuable feedback and strategies to help me excel in academic writing . I feel confident in my writing and speaking skills because of Laura.
ESL (English as a Second Language) Lessons
Pooja S.
Apr 26, 2016
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Hired on Thumbtack
I am a non native English speaker. I was struggling with my comprehensive (thesis) paper. Laura helped me brain storm ideas for my paper, gave me constructive feedback, and helped me edit the paper.
She spent a lot of one on one time with me and constantly stayed in touch with me. Laura is very caring and genuine and it shows in her work. She wasn't quite familiar with my topic (I am in healthcare), but she went above and beyond trying to understand what I was writing about so that she could help me best way possible.
She is a great editor and a very sincere person. I am graduating this June and I may not need her help for academic papers, but I will always come to her for any writing and editing help.
I will recommend her to everyone!
Editing
Julia B.
Sep 19, 2015
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Laura is very experienced and considerate. She communicates well with me to make sure that I'm satisfied with her revisions. I will work with her again in the future.
Editing
Credentials
Background Check
Laura Bernell
FAQs
What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Tutoring rates are competitive.
Editing rates vary, depending on type of editing, and we discuss the differences up front. I discount for extended projects. If a project goes more quickly than anticipated, fee goes down.
I like to spend time talking to a client to understand the tone and voice they want to convey. I look for sincerity in their message and conviction about their project. I give those back.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
TUTORING SERVICES: I meet with the student. We get a sense of how we relate and if we would like to work together. If so, we meet again and I have the student write a diagnostic piece of writing. After I assess the student's writing, we discuss areas of writing we will emphasize. Along the way, I will be diagnosing reading skills and have a similar discussions.
FOR EDITORIAL SERVICES:
Request and review sample of the work to edit.
Determine nature of work: proofing, editing, rewriting, or writing.
Talk things over with client.
Provide clear timeline and fee structure.
Provide regular updates on work, and receive feedback.
Review and respond to feedback; make changes if needed.
Provide overall final scan of material.
FOR TUTORING:
Meet with student in person or at least over phone.
Talk, informally. Get to know each other.
Determine if we would LIKE to work together.
If so, assess student skills. Set up tentative program. Get to work. Enjoy.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Masters in English from Santa Clara University. Secondary Education Credential. Community College Literature Credential (valid for life).
Thirty-five years teaching college writing and literature courses. Ran the English Writing Tutoring Center at Ohlone College.
Published essays, articles, stories, poems, and newspaper and magazine features.
Published a book of poems and produced one play.
