References from satisfied parents and adult students are your best assurance of
a qualified tutor.
Below are excerpts from some of my letters of reference. Letters from parents of schoolchildren appear first, followed by letters from adult students. Full letters may be reviewed in person.
Thank you for visiting. I am at your service!
Jon Sindell
B.A., J.D.
jsind@sbcglobal.net
Parents of High School Students and Grads
"[Jon] provided everything I could've asked for in a tutor. ... We would never have dreamed of finding such a great tutor, especially one who makes learning fun and interesting. ... Now that my daughter is in high school, her work requires much more critical thinking. Whenever she needs anything, we have the assurance that we can always turn to Jon for help. He has helped her with a lot of her classes, especially ethnic studies, English, history, and Spanish. ... Jon is a godsend; I don't know what I would do without him." ~ W.L., mother of Saint Ignatius student a four-year student of mine.
“Jon … was the tutor for my son since grade 10 and also assisted in his college application. We were very pleased with Jon’s services. [My son] won a few awards in public speaking and debate, and had recently been admitted to UC Berkeley.” ~ J.T., father of Mills High grad and three-year student of mine.
"My child has been a student of Jon’s since June 2015,
shortly after graduating middle school. I knew his transition from middle
school to high school would be completely different especially entering Lowell
High School, a school with a rigorous curriculum. My child had a difficult time
in English and History and my ability to help him these areas is very limited
since English is not my first language. At Lowell, my son has had high remarks
and grades in both his English and History classes. Jon has tutored my son very
close to the curriculum and allows my child to develop critical thinking,
reading comprehension, and writing skills. He now has gained confidence to
write analytically, question the text, and most importantly, has developed a
passion and love of learning in these two subjects. I would highly recommend
Jon as he instilled very important qualities in my child as a life-long learner." ~ P.H., father of Lowell High student
"We are very pleased to give our highest
recommendation for Jon Sindell, who tutored our daughter in honors
English and history from the time she began the 9th grade at
San Francisco’s Lowell High School until shortly before her graduation. ...
Jon is a lawyer with an undergraduate major in
history, but his passion is education, particularly for high school students in
honors English and history. He not only has exceptional expertise in
these areas, but also the unique method of teaching, with which his
students excel without the feeling of pressure. Jon is able to quickly
point out his students’ strengths and weaknesses and find the most
effective way for them to improve. Under his guidance, students enjoy acquiring
a great deal of knowledge, some of which the routine school teachers do not
offer. After a year of studying with Jon, our daughter made great
academic achievements, from being an average student to getting on the honor
roll. Within one year, her PSAT scores increased by 22 marks. In her sophomore
year, they already reached or were very close to those for national merit
scholarship semifinalists in junior year. Her progress was beyond
our expectations, and we believe that without Jon’s help, she would not have
such achievements. ...
Under Jon’s mentorship, our
daughter continued to grow academically throughout her high school
career. She completed AP US History and English Literature &
Composition during her Junior year and is currently studying AP English
Language & Composition. ...
Jon was such a godsend (if we may
say so) when it came to college applications. He started the process early with
our daughter and went through many iterations of editing with her for the
admissions essays. However, the most important part for us as parents is that
he took out time from his very busy schedule and walked through what we had
documented as honors and achievements all through her high school years so that
she was best presented on the applications. As a result, she was accepted
by most of the schools she applied to including UC Berkeley, UCLA, NYU and UC
San Diego. ...
Jon is dedicated, compassionate, cordial and
hilarious. Our daughter not only regards him as her
respected teacher, but trusts him as a great mentor as well. He
is the best tutor we have ever met. The only dissatisfaction, if any, is that
we did not find Jon sooner." ~ S.W. and Q.X., parents of Lowell High grad
who studied with Jon for four years.
"We are very pleased with the time and effort
Jon Sindell has spent tutoring our son over the past several years. As a
result, our son has shown great improvement in his vocabulary and grammar,
but has also improved his writing capability. Classes at Lowell High School can
be challenging, and students are expected to perform at a very high level. With
Jon's guidance and tutoring and our son's hard work, he was able to get A's
in his English/Literature classes for his junior and senior years." ~
S.T., father of Lowell grad admitted to Cal Poly.
Jon was helping my son since the summer of Freshman year and I feel that
my son has improved a lot since then. My son had trouble with speaking English
but with Jon's help he was able to deliver an amazing speech on his graduation.
Jon is a responsible and trustworthy tutor as my son spoke greatly about
how helpful Jon was in his college application as he received his acceptance
letter from UCLA. I am very grateful that Jon was able to help my son
through high school. ~ M.J., mother of longtime student admitted to UCLA and offered
admission to other top schools.
“Under Jon’s guidance
over the past few months, [my son’s] writing has improved dramatically.
... If you have a child who needs tutoring, I recommend Jon highly.” ~ O.C.,
Lowell High School dad.
“He helped me with
understanding Shakespeare ... I do not think I would have done so well in
English class without Jon’s help. ... Jon ... is an excellent tutor and
I highly recommend his service.” ~ R.Y., Lincoln grad offered admission to four
University of California campuses.
“Jon has not only
helped my son develop his English skills but also gain confidence and open his
mind to more ideas and interests. Just the other day, my son had a big paper
due for English. [My son and I] were both very surprised at the leaps and
bounds my son was making in his expressive writing skills. … I only wish
that I had brought my son to Jon earlier.” ~ T.A., mother of Lincoln ninth
grader.
“Jon is a fantastic
writer who helped [my daughter] brainstorm and bring her ideas to paper. He
was instrumental in guiding her to organize her thoughts and let her voice
shine through her writings. ... [My daughter] could not have done it without
him, and I recommend Jon without hesitation! ~ M.T., mother of Saint
Ignatius senior, concerning college admissions essays.
"Jon was able to remove the road blocks which my son was
experiencing then. It was enlightening to learn that my son opened up to him,
which was very important to the process. ... Jon genuinely cares about the
student, and as much for the parents, too. He was very professional in his
approach and with his timelines, and we felt his warmth. He helped my son stand
out in his essays, yet in a humble way. My son is truly blessed to have Jon
guide him." ~ Marian P., San Ramon, concerning son offered admission to
UCLA, UC San Diego, and many other schools.
"I was a long–time tutoring student of Jon Sindell. I recently
graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco and will soon be
attending the University of California at Los Angeles as a computer science and
engineering student. ...
At the end of my junior year, my parents sent me into [name omitted]’s
summer SAT [prep program]. ... I spent weeks there doing numerous tests and
practices, but every time I left the place I had lots of unanswered questions. I
felt more comfortable when I was bringing my own SAT questions to Jon and
getting them all explained. ...
Jon offered much more than just SAT preparation. For the
two–and–a–half years that we spent together, Jon helped me in every aspect of
the whole “iron triangle” for college admission — tests, admissions essays, and
extracurricular activities. ...
... Moreover,
Jon assisted me in writing and delivering several of my campaign speeches for
class president, which helped me hold the title four years in a row. Jon’s
public–speaking skill, and the fact that he is an effective writer himself,
greatly helped me in the whole process, as well as with my high school life. ...
It is undoubted that Jon is an effective tutor, but personally, he
also feels like a mentor — we would have genuine conversations as I learned more about
American culture, and he would make every lesson interesting. I enjoyed this
kind of learning environment as I didn’t feel the pressure and the mood of
intensive academic learning of a typical classroom setting.
I am very delighted to have had Jon as my tutor throughout most of my
high school career. I am glad that I had a tutor who is wholeheartedly
passionate about tutoring and his students, to help me overcome the
difficulties of my past and walk into a better future. ~ H., longtime student
admitted to UCLA.
“Jon has a
knowledgeable background in history, he is energetic, and helps [my son] to
visualize the particular topic they are working on and prompts [my son] when
needed. ... He shows concern for each student, is very accommodating, and
interacts well with children and adults.” ~ D.G., Washington High School mom.
Parents of Middle School and Elementary School
Students
“Jon is a phenomenal
tutor, a kind person and a true professional. In no time, [my son] made
significant progress. ... Through Jon’s gentle, nurturing and calm teaching
style, [my son] is able to produce wonderful literary pieces. ... Jon helped
[my son] enhance his critical thinking. ... I strongly recommend [him].” ~ R.S.,
mother of a St. Thomas eighth grader.
“My two boys, currently
ages 12 and 9 years, have had the pleasure and honor to have [Jon] as their
tutor for the past two years. We have seen a significant improvement in our
boys’ report cards and test scores where English and Literature was the subject
of concern. ... If you choose to employ [Jon] ... you will not be
disappointed.” ~ H.L., elementary and middle school dad.
“Jon is a wonderful
tutor and his approach to tutoring English is professional. ... [Y]ou
will see greater confidence in your kid ... as I have seen in my
middle-school aged daughter.” ~ J.F., middle school mom.
"Before going to Jon, our daughter dreaded
English writing assignments and could never figure out what to write. It would
take her hours to do her writing assignments. ... After a few months with
Jon, our daughter felt much more confident in her writing, and creative
writing assignments were no longer stressful. ... Jon is very patient and knows
how to bring the best out of our daughter. We would definitely recommend Jon
without any hesitation." ~ R.W. and C.W., parents of Alice Fong Yu
student.
"We are very pleased to offer our highest recommendation
for Jon ... Jon is friendly and warm, and our son loves working with him.
Jon has excited our son about reading, and now our boy reads all the time.
He has also improved our son's study habits. ... Our son's grades have been
very strong during his time with Jon, and his writing has really improved.
But even more than that, we are grateful to Jon for inspiring our son with
the love of learning. ... " ~ C. and K. L, parents of student here
from fifth grade through sixth grade as of the date of this letter.
“Jon is such an
experienced tutor that he was able to immediately pinpoint [my daughter’s]
strengths and areas for improvement. ... R’s writing style and critical
analysis have improved immeasurably. She is especially happy with Jon’s
teaching methods which reenforce those important skills and inspire the
students to take on more challenging school work. ... R has thrived
academically after she has started working with Jon. Now, she has excellent
choices with her high school placement. R has been accepted to Lowell.” ~ K.C.,
mom of eighth grader.
“[W]e feel very glad
that we have found a great tutor who is always there to help the student and is
so dedicated to teaching.” ~ M. and S., A.P. Giannini Middle School
parents.
“His ability to
connect with each student by addressing each student’s unique talent and
specific needs is absolutely incredible.” ~ J.Y., middle school mom.
“Jon … has been a great
tutor for [my two daughters]. … I especially want to thank Jon … for perfecting
[my daughter’s] understanding of grammar, usage of vocabulary, structuring
essays with confidence, and building trust in her own ability to read and write
with eloquence. … He earned our respect because of his conscientious attitude
and professionalism.” ~ H.Q., father of elementary and middle school students
who attended tutoring for years.
“Jon has worked
wonders with our middle school-aged son. ... [He] has really helped our
family through these tough middle school years.” ~ J and J, Presidio Middle
School parents.
“In less than one year
of studying with Jon, my middle-school aged daughter has made significant
improvements in reading, writing, and vocabulary. ... Her grades in
language arts and social studies have improved, and she has gained a lot more
confidence in herself. Jon is very knowledgeable, patient, gentle, and
cheerful. ... I strongly recommend him to other parents.” ~ J.Z., St. Cecelia
mom.
"We are very pleased to offer our
highest recommendation for Jon Sindell, who tutored our son for one
year when he was in fifth grade. Jon was a wonderful help to our
child. Jon's warm, friendly approached worked beautifully with our child.
Using patience and skill, Jon helped our son improve his writing and reading
comprehension tremendously. Our child really enjoyed his lessons with Jon, and
we believe that this was one of the reasons why the tutoring was so successful.
It was a pleasure to see our son's confidence grow in the course of his
time with Jon! ...
It is obvious that Jon loves his work and that he truly cares about his
students. We are certain that if you choose Jon you will not be
disappointed." ~ M. and D., West Portal Lutheran Parents.
“Jon helped [my son] to
develop good study habits while completing the dreaded summer assignments. [My
son] was very proud of the grades he got on the reading assignments when school
started again in the fall. The lessons he learned went beyond the assignments
and into basic learning strategies that he will use for a lifetime. ... I
really appreciate the time he takes getting to know the children he tutors. His
kindness and consistent professionalism are always present in the way he speaks
to my son. I am glad to have him on our team.” ~ D.A., professional
educator and middle school mom.
Jon is a wonderful instructor and his approach to tutoring
English is professional ... Most important, you will see greater confidence in
your kid and better scores as I have seen in my kid. ~ J.F., middle school and high school mother.
“Since [my son] has
been going to Jon every week, we have noticed a quantum leap in his reading
ability. Not only this, [my son] is now excited and enthusiastic about
reading. Since tutoring, [my son’s] reading level went from 4.1 to 6.5, and he
received A’s in reading-and-spelling-related subjects in his latest
trimester. We are most pleased by Jon’s engaging style as a tutor. He is
sensitive, caring, and encouraging to [my son], yet at the same time firm and
challenging. [My son] now brags to us about how many books he is devouring
each week, along with his high scores on reading tests.” ~ R.P., university
professor and elementary school dad.
“My experience with
Jon has been wonderful. My daughter has been struggling with English
for couple of years now and I decided that she needed additional help. We
started with Jon’s help after the first semester report cards came out and
since then my daughter has vastly improved. Everything that was marked in
one column had moved to another!!! Jon shows so much patience, kindness, and
warmth towards my daughter. He has made English fun for her and
encourages her to do her best. She has gained confidence in her writing,
reading, and spelling. Thank you Jon!!!” ~ M.C., Alice Fong Yu elementary school mom.
“Both my daughter and
son have had English tutoring with Jon for over a year. Jon is a very patient
and detail-oriented tutor. The kids are now more confident with their English
language skills.With Jon’s excellent service, I am happy to recommend him to
anyone.” ~ C.Y., St. Cecelia mom.
College and Grad–School Students and Working
Adults
(Yes, I tutor adult students, too)
“... Jon is the best tutor I have ever had. ... I cannot stop raving
about how great a tutor and editor Jon is.” ~ M..G., M.A in education.
“Jon is a wonderful tutor and I love working with him. ... Jon is
patient and always takes the time to help you understand anything you do not
know. I highly recommend Jon to anyone who is searching for an English
tutor/editor.” ~ E.C., UCLA student.
“I am a law student and needed help improving my writing and
critical thinking skills. ... Jon has been a tremendous help in enhancing my
skill at making cogent arguments in a concise and effective way. ... Jon
puts together a battle plan for areas needing particular emphasis. ... [He] is
a patient, kind, and understanding man.” ~ Marc S., law student.
“I find Jon very patient and friendly with his students. He is
motivated, dependable, and is in tune with the needs of his students. I highly
recommend Jon as an English tutor.” ~ G.T., University of California law
student.
“Jon’s knowledge of English is tremendous and his teaching skills are
extremely helpful. [T]he knowledge and the tips that I gained from Jon have
been very helpful to me in the conduct of my business.” ~ S.N., financial
industry professional.
"Dear Jon, ... You gave me a great deal of confidence in my
writing! I would highly recommend you to anyone." ~ S.W., business
professional.
“Thank
you very much for your recent classes given to our staff here at the [name
omitted] Hotel. All the staff fortunate enough to attend one of the sessions
very much enjoyed the time spent with you. You were able to confidently and
convincingly remind us all of not only the importance of the written language,
but in addition, the many ways we can easily improve how we communicate
through writing. This was a wonderful start on the journey to better
writing for our employees and I look forward to our next series of classes.” ~ E.A., training director of a renowned San Francisco hotel.
