ACADEMIC TUTORING
"Joanna is an amazing tutor—both in terms of her breadth of knowledge on so many subjects and her ability to teach complex topics in a clear way...She has provided my son with effective tools to now be able to confidently tackle academic problems and challenges on his own."
A graduate of Harvard College with a B.A. (cum laude) in Neuroscience and a minor in English, Joanna offers private tutoring in-person and online (via Zoom, etc) in one-on-one or small group settings.
Joanna Lau is an academic tutor primarily specializing in English/Writing, K-12 Math/Science, college/applications essays, and PSAT/SAT Prep (see this page for more info on college applications tutoring). Joanna has six+ years of experience tutoring elementary-high school students in the aforementioned subjects. She has also served as a Homework Tutor helping in all subjects (for younger students). In addition to her own private tutoring, Joanna has worked as a Writing Center Tutor at Harvard University, where she helped college students with their academic writing of any subject, including senior theses. As a Writing Center Tutor, Joanna worked with Harvard students one-on-one concerning crafting of theses, essay structure, analysis, and clarity.
My Offerings:
See below for more info on what my tutoring usually entails. Please note that this may vary depending on a student's age/level, as my tutoring is highly personalized according to the needs/desires of each individual student.
ENGLISH/WRITING TUTORING
- Reading comprehension & analysis in multiple genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry)
- Academic writing skills (essay-writing, short-response writing)
- Some creative writing (descriptive writing, narrative writing, etc.)
- Goals:
- Preparing students for their school English classes/requirements; offering extra help for students who are struggling in English/Writing; preparing high school students for college-level writing
- Developing analytical skills in multiple genres of texts
- Helping students formulate and communicate complex ideas clearly through writing
MATH/SCIENCE TUTORING
- Because math/science can entail a broad range of subjects, please contact me if you wish to inquire about whether I tutor a particular subject.
- Goals:
- Preparing students for their school math or science classes; offering extra help for students who are struggling in math or science
- Preparing students for standardized exams (e.g. Regents exams, APs)
- Helping students grasp mathematical/scientific concepts and apply their understanding to a variety of problems
HOMEWORK TUTORING
- Geared towards younger students (elementary to early middle school)
- Involves help in all subjects, including teaching general HW/study techniques and habits
- Work together with students on their daily HW or help them prepare for school tests
- May utilize supplemental material to give a student more practice in a particular subject area
Looking for college essay tutoring or PSAT/SAT prep? Click here for more info.
To inquire about tutoring/rates, please send an email to joannalau01@gmail.com.
TESTIMONIALS
"Joanna is an excellent tutor in all areas. She is adept in essentially all topics and concepts, which is extremely valuable given that I attend a fast-paced rigorous college prep school with little to no class review of concepts at times. Joanna's teaching style is thoughtful, incisive, and articulate. She makes sure to cover each topic deeply, instilling knowledge in a way that will stick. This enables us to cover more ground because Joanna ensures I do not have any holes in my knowledge. She is also extremely responsive, which is something very rare in academic tutoring. I am impressed by her dedication and commitment to her students' success, and I attribute part of my academic success to her impressive teaching skills and expansive knowledge on many academic topics. Furthermore, Joanna is extremely kind and generous with her time. It is apparent that she cares deeply about her students."
~ Yossi, 10th grade student of two years (in English/Writing, Geometry & Algebra 2, Biology & Chemistry)
"My son has worked with Joanna for the past couple of years to help review and reinforce concepts of various subjects—ranging from sciences and math to English/language arts. Joanna is an amazing tutor—both in terms of her breadth of knowledge on so many subjects and her ability to teach complex topics in a clear way. As a parent, I was so grateful to have someone who is dependable, responsive, and knowledgeable. Joanna is also extremely kind and encouraging. It is often challenging to find a great tutor who is both skilled in terms of academic/teaching ability and also congenial and a pleasant person to engage with—Joanna has both! What is great is that Joanna has provided my son with effective tools to now be able to confidently tackle academic problems and challenges on his own. We are so grateful for Joanna's support and help!"
~ Esther Rosen, parent of 10th grade student
"Joanna is an excellent writing tutor. She is very organized and has a great positive attitude. She knows how to provide constructive feedback yet stays positive the whole time. Joanna also has a way of explaining concepts which is easy to understand. She worked with my son to prepare him for the honors English track for high school English. Without a doubt, in the few months she worked with him, his writing improved immensely."
~ Pearl Lee, parent of 8th grade student
"Having Joanna available to tutor our kids (grades 4 & 6) and provide additional 1:1 in-person instruction in Math and ELA, particularly during the pandemic, was a tremendous boon to our children. Joanna not only demonstrated a facility for the academic subject matter, she was also very conscientious in ensuring that our kids had a clear understanding of whatever topic was being covered per their school curriculum. The fact that she had such a good "bedside manner" and that our kids loved her was a much appreciated bonus. We are so grateful for her efforts and would recommend her without reservation in this or any other endeavor."
~ Nara Yoon, parent of 6th grade & 4th grade students
"Joanna is hardworking, reliable and passionate. Her authenticity is palpable, and her abilities are endless. Joanna tutored my older daughter in Algebra 1 & Earth Science and my younger daughter in Math. Joanna is able to quickly refresh her memory of past subjects to help students, and her study methods are effective and memorable. She can not only help a student prepare for an exam, but also provide them with valuable knowledge for a successful future. Joanna's kind personality is crucial for any student, as she is patient and gracious. We have loved working with her!"
~ Charu Sharma, parent of 8th grade & 6th grade students
"My daughter was struggling in Math, and with Joanna's help, she was able to finish 6th grade with an A+ in Math! We were lucky to have Joanna for two years. Other than being great at what she does, Joanna is a sweet and reliable individual. I would highly recommend Joanna!"
~ Maria Vasaka, parent of 5th-6th grade student
"Joanna tutored my daughter in both Math and flute. She did great with both subjects and my daughter enjoyed every lesson. Joanna is very friendly and keeps her students at ease, which helps young learners to progress. She is an amazing role model for youngsters and a pleasure to work with."
~ Sara Safdar, parent of 5th grade student