Philosophy & Approach
Philosophy
Stefanie and the team at New Heights Learning are invested in your child’s ability to communicate.
The power and gift of communication is essential for success: across-curricula within secondary school, on a college application or in a job interview. Good writing and strong reading are tightly related; We use mentor texts to analyze powerful writing, to extract techniques, and to understand an author’s purpose. The ability to read with insight and depth makes us stronger researchers, better problem solvers and more skilled writers. We specialize in techniques that unleash fluency, strengthen vocabulary, elevate writing analysis, improve organization and much more.
We firmly believe every student can write! With a graphic organizer, flow chart, or the permission to freewrite - without attention to grammar - creative synapses spark and words flow onto the page. Our team is composed of dedicated teachers who are excited about the steps of each learner’s journey and the road to each child’s success. Our approach to education is designed to unlock the unique potential within every student. Most importantly, we seek to give each student the tools to approach writing with confidence, well beyond their time with us has ended.
Approach
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We work with a wide array of learners from the 4th grade through middle school, high school, college and graduate school. We have experienced tutors to accommodate the basic foundations of reading and writing to the more sophisticated academic needs of upper level students and college/university applicants.
We work with struggling students who have challenges with organization, executive functioning and getting started. We do enrichment work to bring high performing students to the next level of excellence. We coach high school students through all stages of their college application writing needs.
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We mostly work on zoom, but love to work in person if and when possible. In today’s demanding world, we’re here to accommodate your busy schedule. Every student and family thrive under different circumstances. We succeed when your needs are met. We also believe that one of the greatest gifts we give to students is our undivided attention. We are present. We are dedicated. We are here to help.
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We are professional educators who bring our experience and expertise to the table to offer services in a “holistic manner.” In other words, different situations call for different sets of tools and strategies. Our educators dive in and assess a student’s needs with efficiency. At New Heights Learning, we constantly modify our approach to meet the needs of the individual and fresh challenges in front of us. With a wide range of best practices in our tool belt, we deliver an expert approach to bring clarity, organization and mastery to whatever task is at hand.
We offer an “inquiry based approach” to help students arrive at solutions that will stick for their specific goals and learning needs. Learning is approached with an open mind and a flexible mindset. We ask questions and leave space for students to take an active role in their sessions and shape their own outcomes. We seek to emphasize that a solution is not an answer, it’s a means of solving a problem. We build skills side-by-side, most often on a shared google doc, where changes, revisions and suggestions can be seen in real time. Each new day delivers a fresh challenge that we can not wait to tackle together.
New Heights Learning is also founded on the belief that strong connections between educators and students are the cornerstone of academic success. Learning doesn’t have to be a drag. The right educator can inspire a student to work harder and rise to the occasion. Listening carefully, responding to a child’s pain points and showing them a tangible way forward, can create more ease and joy in the process. We are here to help every student climb their academic ladder and reach new heights.