Welcome to our informational blog.
Topics covered include literary theory and practice, academic writing techniques, philosophy of education, and explanations of our methods for enhancing creative intelligence.
The Vital Role of Formal Grammar in Developing Writing Proficiency
Despite grammar’s fundamental role, many educational institutions have shifted their focus away from traditional grammar instruction — a change that raises questions about the potential effects of this reduced emphasis on students' ability to write effectively in measurable and consistent ways. This trend underscores the role writing tutors can play in providing essential grammar education.
Embracing the Moral Heart of Writing Tutoring: Insights from David Hansen's Educational Philosophy
In his book "The Moral Heart of Teaching," philosopher David Hansen embarks on a profound exploration of the ethical core of educational practice. Hansen articulates the belief that teaching is not merely a profession but a vocation rooted in moral responsibility. His arguments can be applied to educational settings and pedagogical traditions beyond conventional classroom learning, and are especially relevant to the nuanced work of writing tutoring.
“English Lag”: Tutoring as a Remedy against Falling Behind during Covid-19
The Gilliam Writers Group offers academic writing tutoring services that can have a positive impact on your writing skills and academic success. Whether you're seeking an academic writing tutor online or a private tutor for academic writing, the Gilliam Writers Group is an invaluable resource.
The Staying Power of Live Tutoring amid the A.I. Revolution
Live tutoring remains a crucial component of education, complementing the benefits of A.I.-powered tutoring systems. While A.I. chatbots offer certain advantages, they cannot replace the human touch and the empathetic support that live tutors provide. Live tutoring enables real-time interaction, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter and addressing individual learning needs.
Enhancing Adolescent Writing Skills IV: How We Operationalize the 2007 “Writing Next” Report
As professional writing tutors, we rely on a mix of personal experience and research when designing our lesson plans & determining how to improve student outcomes. Like many in our field, we have found the “Writing Next” report to be an invaluable resource for teaching our students how to write not only “well,” but compellingly, with gusto and inspiration. Read on to learn why you should hire a writing tutor online.
The Evolving Role of Private Tutors: A Writing Tutor’s Historical Overview
In the age of digital innovation, the art of tutoring has undergone profound transformations. While today’s educators have access to more advanced tools and platforms than ever before, our core principle of one-on-one instruction has its roots in the deepest bedrock of educational history. Join us as we trace the footsteps of legendary tutor-student duos and discover how the past has informed today's tutoring landscape.
Enhancing Adolescent Writing Skills III: How Our Online Tutors Use the “Writing Next” Report
This is the second-to-last blog post in our series on the 2007 research report titled "Writing Next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools.” In today’s post, we’ll summarize the next three instructional strategies outlined in the report, and explain how our online writing tutors use them to enhance the writing skills of adolescent learners.
The Importance of Outlines in Middle School English
One of the most frequent questions from those entering the sometimes-stressful years of middle school is what English teachers expect from their students. A qualified middle school writing tutor from the Gilliam Writers Group can help put your fears to rest, but first, a few pointers to get your recent middle schooler on the right track.
A Time of Change: The Future of Our Business
The Gilliam Writers Group isn't going to become a standard tutoring or coaching company, nor will it become another vast "umbrella platform" that impersonally connects clients with instructors while taking an unduly large cut of their earnings. Employment-wise, our objective is, in fact, very personal: we want to fortify the skills, influence, and financial independence of young writers of unusual talent -- the kind of talent that has little to do with resumes.
On Tutors and Homework: The Case for Reading for Pleasure
Reading begins to feel like a trap for children whose parents confuse quantity with quality when it comes to learning; these over-stressed minds learn only that for every page they enjoy, there is a price to be paid in boring, extraneous work.
On End-of-Semester Paralysis
I’ve worked with dozens of college students who have finished a semester without finishing their final assignments, and who are now working desperately against looming extension deadlines to preserve their grades (and their mental health). Although it’s stigmatized and rarely talked about in academia, end-of-semester paralysis is a troublingly common affliction in today’s universities.
Conventional Education and the Creativity Crisis
Since the dot com boom and the entrance of millennials into the workplace, creativity seems to have become an increasingly valued asset in the US economy. But for some reason, Americans’ divergent thinking scores have been declining since the time of the internet’s appearance.
Passive vs. Active Learning
When did you last hear of a teacher inviting students to speak up when they’re bored, or when a lesson isn’t engaging them? Our standard educational model does not encourage learners to honor their own desire to learn. In fact, it trains them to suppress this desire when it goes unfulfilled, in order to avoid disrupting the flow of the lesson.
What Do Students Owe?
Young people gain less and less in exchange for attending school – specifically in terms of intellectual competency and employment prospects – yet education today is more time-consuming and future-determining than ever. In the US, upward mobility is declining and the quality of public education is poor. Students and their families compensate by working harder, paying more (for tutors and name-brand schools), and participating in more extracurriculars.
Brief Notes on Method: Writing Tutoring Online
A deeper look at the module-style writing lessons that our online writing tutors design for students here at GWG.