“Steve builds self-confidence in his students by strengthening independent learning instead of spoon-feeding the content.”
stevenrudnick.com
I offer customized, long term tutoring for middle school, high school, and adults in:
- critical thinking
- the writing process
- grammar
- literary analysis
- college application essays
- English conversation
Clear thinking results in clear writing. I engage students in deep discussion so they can develop critical thinking skills, generate interesting ideas, and organize their ideas effectively.
Through close analysis, my students learn how to understand, appreciate, and write about literature. Emphasis is placed on original interpretation of texts.
I approach grammar and other mechanics of English in the context of meaningful writing, not as isolated skills. When we care about what we’re saying, we care about how we say it.
Finally, I offer 1/2 hour or 1 hour English conversation sessions for people who already speak English but want to improve in the areas of grammar, common expressions, common vocabulary, pronunciation, etc.
I live in the Bay Area, and work online via Google Meet.
(661) 302-1481
Please see my website at stevenrudnick.com
"Steve is sensitive to the unique educational needs of his students. In addition, he shows much flexibility, humor, and a genuine caring for his students, who consistently evaluate him as an excellent tutor."
- Verna Benzler
ASPIRE Tutoring Program
San Jose State University
“Before I met Steven, I always avoided writing. Although my parents hired many tutors to try and improve my writing, none of them worked as well as Steven did.
Steven made writing and studying English fun. We analyzed and discussed poems and short stories such as ‘Monet Refuses the Operation’ and ‘The Lottery.’ He also understood that although I am a creative person, I sometimes have trouble generating ideas. He was patient with me, and over time, my writing improved.
Steven also helped me with my high school application essays. At first it was frustrating because we kept rewriting them, but I could see how each new draft was better than the last one. I believe my essays were a major reason why I got accepted to two of my top choices.
While learning with Steven, I was able to get rid of many of my bad writing habits, such as mixing past and present tense.
Steven was hilarious, cool, and easy to talk to, and I enjoyed the time I spent with him.”
- Alex, 8th grade
"Having hired tutors for my nephews before who were lackluster and dispassionate, I think Steven’s most valuable trait as a tutor is that he genuinely cares about teaching and his students. It comes across in his demeanor, his preparedness for each session, his engagement during the lessons, and even his detailed monthly reports."
- Thomas
"Steve is one of the best tutors I’ve had because he really listens. He’s also a fun tutor, a cool person, and a really nice teacher!”
- Henry, 7th grade
“Our middle schooler has worked hard throughout his entire private school experience. He is widely read and able to express his opinions on current events. But he found that the high school application essay prompts were difficult to understand.
Steven was available on weekends and holidays to help him explore the possible narratives. Steven worked tirelessly with our child for many hours. He took on the larger role of advocate as well as providing our child with tutoring. Well done, Steven!”
- Paul
“Our son works so much better with Steven than he does with either me or his dad. He brought our reluctant writer out of his shell and helped him find the confidence he needed.”
-Holly
"Mr. Rudnick writes with fluency as well as precision. Besides, he shows independence of thought and a penetrating intelligence.
I have found him to be completely reliable, hard-working, and best of all, quite original in his approach to the study of literature."
- Kiching Kim
Professor of English, San Jose State University
Professor of Korean Literature, UC Berkeley