Clare Perry
Education:
Master of Education, Teaching and Curriculum, Harvard University, 1989
Bachelor of Arts, Urban Studies, University of Pennsylvania, 1986
Tutor Subjects:
Certifications:
Massachusetts Teacher Certification (Humanities 5-8, ESL/ELL 5-12, English 8-12); UCLA College Counseling Certificate
Clare tutors students in grades 5-12 in English Language Arts and Social Studies, and students in grades 5-8 in Math and Science. She has traveled extensively and worked with students for whom English is not their first language, including students in India, Chile, and China. She has extensive experience supporting students through the college and private school admission process, helping with applications, admission essays, and interviews, including for international students. She is experienced in working with students with special needs (including dysgraphia) and behavioral needs. Her specialty is in writing, and she has overseen student literary magazines and served as a content writer and text editor. Additionally, she prepares students for the verbal sections of standardized tests, including the TOEFL exam.
Clare says: “When my kids were entering 5th, 7th, and 9th grades, my husband and I, with the desire to broaden our kids’ perspectives, decided to move abroad. As educators, we were thrilled to discover a robust network of international schools—we worked and lived in Beijing, China for two years; Santiago, Chile for eight; and New Delhi, India for two. While my husband and I have just moved backed to Massachusetts, the exploration seeds we planted with our kids have taken root—our oldest attended a US independent boarding school, did his Bachelors at IE University in Spain, and now works for an American company but gets to live in Madrid; our middle daughter graduated with an IB Diploma from the international school in Chile, went to Pomona College in California, did a research Fulbright in the UK, and now has settled back into the US getting her PhD in Molecular Biology and Immunology at Stanford; and our youngest who also graduated with an IB Diploma from Chile and BS from Pomona College is currently also engaged in a Fulbright, studying land snails in Sydney, Australia. I share these stories about my kids because in addition to working with many students from around the world, I have also worked with my own kids and their close friends. I treat each of my students like one of my own kids (and sometimes my kids as students)—I prioritize helping them find joy, relevance, and purpose in what they do. My philosophy has always been that when a kid stops liking something they’re doing, from a class to an assignment to an activity, it’s time to make a shift—whether in the concrete or in terms of a mindset change. I meet students where they are and help them get to where they want to go!“