Cultivating Your Potential
My mission: to provide the targeted one-to-one support thatÂ
bolsters students' confidence, calms their fears, stimulates their intellect, and inspires their creativity.
Professional Educational Services
Meeting the Evolving Needs of Students and Families
Middle and High School English Tutoring
Do you need support in prioritizing, planning, and pacing your assignments or in approaching larger tasks? Do you feel the need to increase your vocabulary or bolster your understanding of grammar and mechanics? Or do you simply value the regular discussion and feedback that is impossible in a large classroom setting? The 2020-2021 school year presents its own unique challenges. I am here to help.
Middle and High School
Essay Editing
Over the past 36 years, I have been honored to teach over 5,000 students. While some were enthusiastic writers, many were either reluctant or nervous about their abilities and preconceived weaknesses. However, all had stories to tell. The joy of being an editor is in helping writers find their voice. The joy of being a writer is finding it.
College Application Support
As a teacher of high school seniors, I've spent decades reviewing thousands of college application essays and know the pitfalls and clichés one must avoid. Valuable time can be wasted on essays that do not serve applicants well.  This is a very stressful process for students and those who love them. It need not be, with the proper tips, encouragement, and guidance. Let's get started - together!
Francesca Lee Winch
Lifelong Learner & Educator
Since 1984, I’ve been a high school English teacher in Arlington County, Virginia, committed to ensuring my students' success in reading comprehension/analysis and synthesis, in developing the writing process through revision and editing, in overcoming fears of public speaking, and in finely tuning their critical thinking skills. While I've taught every grade and level of secondary English, my primary focus has been challenging students in advanced classes, including preparing students for the AP Literature exam.
​
In addition, as a teacher of high school seniors and the mother of two recent college graduates, I have experienced the stress of the college application season both vicariously and first-hand. The college application essay offers students the opportunity to show the admissions committee their unique selves, what makes them stand out from thousands of other applicants. As daunting as the process of crafting that message may be, it can and should also be life affirming.
​
Forging a personal relationship with my students has always been a priority for me. We are all our best selves, our best writers, thinkers, speakers, and creators, when we are comfortable and happy in our surroundings. I strive to create such an environment. The absolute best part of teaching is getting to know one's students and developing a relationship that can last decades beyond the classroom. This, combined with a love of literature, writing, and ideas, is why I chose a career in education. This is why I continue to do so.
​
Options & Pricing
Tutoring, Editing, College Application Support
In-Person Tutoring
$100 an hour
Outdoors at your home, or at a mutually agreed upon location, maintaining social distancing. (Spacious indoor option is available during the winter months.)
Virtual Tutoring
Via Zoom, with security features enabled.
$75 an hour
Hybrid Tutoring
One in-person meeting and three subsequent Zoom sessions over the course of each month.
$325 a month
Small Group Tutoring
$60 each, per hour
Up to 4 students of similar academic needs, interest, and level. Both Zoom and in-person, socially distant options available. Pod support also available.
Editing Services
Review for grammar/mechanics, word choice, syntax, and organization.
$25Â + $10 per page
College App Essays
$600 per core essay to
$1000 per core essay
Unlimited time/feedback for core 500-650 word essays, via Zoom and Googledocs, from brainstorming through the final product starts at $600. In-person cost ranges from $800 to $1,000 based on distance traveled.
College App Supplemental Essays
Unlimited time/feedback for supplemental essays, via Zoom and Googledocs, from brainstorming through final product. Pricing based on length. In-person cost starts is $100.
$50- $100 per essay
College App Package
$1,500 for up to 6Â essays, including scholarship application essays.
This package includes either a Zoom or an initial in-person, socially distanced consultation regarding choice of prompt and guidance in organization/prewriting, and unlimited/on-going feedback on subsequent drafts through Zoom meetings and Googledocs commentary. In-person meetings are negotiable!
Consultation
Free with any essay service.
Initial pre-writing consultation via Zoom, as the most successful coaching occurs BEFORE a student chooses a topic and begins writing. The initial conversation prior to writing a first draft is central to success, and minimizes a student's (and family's) frustration.
"At a basic level, you set me up for writing successfully in college, but I also felt like you were one of the teachers who really cared about all of us as students."
- Eileen C.
​
"To this day, I still think about how your class was a pivotal year for me as a writer and strengthened my confidence with my work. I was really nervous since I was jumping from a regular class to your AP course. I did not think I would measure up well compared to other students, but I surprised myself and realized my potential with the very constructive and valuable feedback you gave me."
- Megan C.
​
"You prepared me to be an author, a teacher, an activist, an actor, and a ski bum. If you are curious about how your English class had anything to do with my being a ski bum, well, you made us believe that we could do anything that we wanted in life and you were right. You can. you just have to prioritize and do it."
- Alex B.
​
"My greatest memory of you is your kindness. Your classroom was a safe haven - and I just happened to learn a lot while there."
- Holly F.
​
"I never got the chance to tell you this, but you really inspired me when you talked to us about doing something in life that "makes your heart sing" and waking up every morning loving what you do. This is really what inspired me to be a cognitive neuroscience major and pursue my passion in life working with people with disabilities, and specifically people with autism. I actually rethought what I wanted to do with my life!
- Rebecca J.
​
"I was lucky enough to have you twice. You taught me so much, not just about English, but about the world and about being a good human. You taught us how to really understand the material we were reading; you taught us to think for ourselves. And, somehow, you went beyond this. You took the time to talk to us about life beyond high school. You made us feel safe in your classroom; you weren't afraid to be honest with us, and you cheered us on when you could. I can only hope that my kids are lucky enough to have a teacher like you at some point in their lives."
- Sara E.
​
"I was a senior in your World Lit class in 1994-1995, and it was my first exposure to the Quran, the Tao, Hindi myth, and Beowulf, and it also was my first exposure to creative writing. All of it shaped me - you shaped me - but the opportunity to create my own fiction and have it reviewed by you and my peers inspired me beyond any and all of it. I went on to earn a BA in English, winning the department's fiction and poetry prizes and $1,000 in cash, and then I picked up an MA in English as well as a focus on medieval manuscripts, and then went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Fiction, which launched a string of publications in national literary magazines, and contest awards, and a $10K fiction fellowship, and then an agent for my novel. You were the first to say to me "you've got something here," and your words carried me beyond my wildest imaginings. Thank you for believing in me, for all the beautiful texts and words, and for your contagious passion."
- Ally A.
​
​
​
​
​
Get in Touch
Serving the Washington DC Metro Area, and, virtually, ANYWHERE!
(MoCo is the acronym for Montgomery County, Maryland)