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Melissa Walsh, M.A., Rider university

During the past decade, Melissa Walsh has served as a writing tutor to elementary, middle, and high school students and to adult students and professionals.

As a writing tutor, Melissa’s main goal is to help students see writing as a communication tool that can be used to develop an academic edge and to express their unique thoughts and ideas. With young students, Melissa works to ensure present levels of proficiency are maintained and developed. With adults, she works to improve and refine writing skills so that professional and personal goals are met.

As an academic and creative writing tutor, Melissa always places the individual student’s interests and learning style at the forefront of her instruction. She approaches each student with their writing strengths in mind, as she works to build confidence and writing skills. Melissa excels at getting her students to express their thoughts by breaking down the writing process into manageable tasks. She patiently works with each student writer until personal confidence, independence, and academic excellence are achieved. Melissa also works with college-bound ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders to help them hone the kind of personal writing skills they need to write compelling and memorable college application essays.

Melissa also works with college-bound ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders to help them hone the kind of personal writing skills they need to write compelling and memorable college application essays.

“All writing instruction should be personal, designed with the individual student’s needs in mind.”

Melissa is a certified general and special education teacher dedicated to supporting her district’s Child Study and Intervention and Referral Services teams. Melissa’s vast knowledge of special education and learning disabilities make her an excellent resource for students, parents, and colleagues. Melissa’s expertise helps parents decipher IEPs and 504 plans, and she works with families to develop strategic and implementable accommodations. In addition, she excels at approaching learning differences with creative solutions and patience. Melissa’s writing instruction for students with learning differences is tailored specifically for them so she can build on the foundation of their existing strengths.

Also an expert on the impact of psychological trauma on learning and writing, she frequently speaks to educators and parents about the need to incorporate social and emotional learning into all aspects of educational systems. She has also contributed to Whole School Health Through Psychosocial Emotional Learning, authored multiple blog posts about teaching, learning, and health for special education law firms, and presented at statewide conferences on education, communication, and technology.

Melissa is also a talented voice actor who gives voice to key educational projects for the University of Maryland’s Institute for Innovation and Implementation.

Education

M.A, Rider University, Special Education with Distinction
Graduate Level Teacher Certification, Elementary Education, Rider University
B.A., College of Saint Elizabeth, Psychology and International Relations, minor in French
Advanced Certificate in Tutoring and College Counseling, The Writing Center of Princeton

“Melissa is an expert at planning lessons that focus on the educational needs of the individual. She provided insightful weekly summaries on my daughter’s progress and well thought out objectives for upcoming lessons.”

Hien O., parent of West Windsor, NJ 5th grader

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
Reading and Writing Fundamentals

Reading Comprehension

Remote Learning Loss

Time Management

IEP review

Executive Functioning Skills

Public Speaking

Language Arts

Private School admissions

essay writing

Goal setting and progress monitoring

High school English

Middle school English

College Application Essays

Math fundamentals

Self-advocacy skill building