Rachel Altman

Background

About Rachel Altman

A former dancer with Colorado Ballet, I left the Performing Arts to attend college and graduate school at Stanford University, where I earned my B.A. and my M.A. in English. I was also awarded an emphasis in Fiction Writing. After receiving certification through the Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course, I entered the field of magazine publishing in New York City, where I worked as the Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief at Gentlemen’s Quarterly magazine, and as an Assistant Editor at Vis a Vis magazine. At GQ, I wrote regularly for the “Elements of Style” column. In Los Angeles, I transitioned to print journalism, working as an Arts and Entertainment Reporter for the Los Angeles Times. After writing about the entertainment industry, I decided to enter it, working as a Creative Executive at Walt Disney/Touchstone Pictures. Writing development notes for screenwriters on Disney projects, encouraged me to write my own screenplay—an adaptation of a novel I read while in graduate school at Stanford. A move from the corporate world of film to the non-profit sector led to a job at the Denver Film Society, where as the Associate to the Artistic Director I selected films for the Denver International Film Festival, and wrote and edited all festival press releases, brochures, and programs. Following careers in publishing, print journalism, and film, I returned to graduate school, this time at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, where I earned my M.A. in Education, with a Single Subject Teaching Credential in English. I did my Student Teaching in the Santa Monica/Malibu USD, and was subsequently hired as an English Teacher at Santa Monica High School. Fifteen years ago, I started my own tutoring business. As a private English tutor, I leverage my expertise in literary analysis and criticism to teach students how to write and edit essays for their English classes. I also guide students through the process of writing and editing Common App essays, and all supplemental college essays. I help foster a sense of personal style in young writers, and I teach grammar, in the context of writing. As an Executive-Functioning Coach, I consult with school personnel and mental-health professionals to implement recommendations from Psycho-Educational Evaluations, 504 Plans, and Accommodation Plans, as I provide homework support, test-prep strategies, and share organizational and time-management skills. My work includes Honors and AP, in addition to reinforcement for students with ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, and Dysgraphia.