As a teacher and tutor with well over a decade of experience working with high school and college students, Shaun Stiemsma has helped many students develop their skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Shaun has tutored students from the age of 8 all the way up to those seeking post-graduate degrees, preparing students for tests as varied as the SAT, ACT, SSAT, HSPT, ISEE, LSAT, and GRE. He has also tutored students in academic subjects ranging from mathematics to English.
Shaun has taught high school students of all skills levels and he has provided them with the keys to accomplish their educational goals. Shaun has also taught college students at both the US Naval Academy and the Catholic University of America, teaching first-year students the writing and thinking skills that effectively set the groundwork for future success at the college level.
Shaun has been able to bring the same kind of approach to his tutoring, as he believes that effective test preparation is not only a way to get a better score on one test, but also a valuable academic experience to prepare students for what will follow their test. He believes in the same three-part strategy that is the hallmark of Marks Education test preparation:
First, Shaun uniquely tailors a plan for each student, taking his or her strengths and interests into account.
Second, in guiding his students to grasp the necessary content that each test requires, he helps each to gain mastery over his or her areas of greatest need.
Third, Shaun provides students with the strategies that will allow their natural skills and abilities to benefit them to the fullest in their actual test performance.
While even strong test-takers can still feel anxiety about major tests, Shaun believes that these emphases will help students to gain the confidence they need to succeed. Like all Marks tutors, Shaun is an expert test-taker, and annually takes the tests that he tutors.
Shaun was a national merit scholar and he earned his BA in English and Secondary Education on a National Merit Scholarship at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. He received a DeFerrari Scholarship for the English Literature post-graduate program at CUA, from which he has received his MA and PhD.