Old School Writing Workshop

Deirdre Sullivan joins OSWW

OSWW is growing its program and coaching team this year. Kate and I are thrilled to have Deirdre Sullivan join us for coaching and workshop instruction. Her extensive experience, unique talents with teaching kids with different learning styles and needs, and enthusiasm for all things grammar makes this a perfect fit for all.  Deirdre is already coaching students this summer and will be co-teaching Fall 2011  OSWW Fundamentals (more details on that soon).  Here is more on Deirdre:

Deirdre Sullivan, a former English and Spanish teacher, also supervised the Write Place, a peer mentoring program at Fenwick High School in Oak Park. She graduated cum laude from Boston College where she majored in English and minored in International Relations with a concentration in Spanish. During college, Deirdre worked as a copy editor on the Sub Turri yearbook. She believes it is pertinent for students to fine-tune basic English grammar skills in order to advance to composition level writing.  Deirdre has a personal interest in assisting students with special needs, but has been a passionate educator for varied levels of learners; over the past twenty years she has been a classroom instructor for students ages 7 to 70. 

About Us

Kate Dulla and Molly Hughes lead the OSWW programs.

Molly joined Anita Moriarty at College Bound Consulting in 2009 to start a second career as an independent college consultant. That fall, they expanded their services by launching the Old School Writing Workshop. Molly and Kate Dulla, who joined OSWW in the summer of 2010, added services for high-schoolers; Spot Tutoring and the Writing Coach Program, along with the successful middle-school workshops, complete the OSWW offerings.  

Molly attended Hinsdale Central High School, where she spent many afternoons in the El Diablo yearbook room as a copy editor, or elsewhere in the English Department hallways writing and rehearsing for Mock Trial competitions. She went on to earn a B.A. in Spanish Literature with an English minor from Boston College, and then earned an  M.B.A. from the University of Virginia. At both Boston College and the University of Virginia, Molly wrote and edited for the student newspaper. She is writing short stories, loosely based on her childhood in Hinsdale, in her spare time.

Kate Dulla joined OSWW in 2010 as a writing coach, tutor, and workshop instructor. A Hinsdale native and Western Springs resident, Kate brings clients her wisdom from over ten years of teaching high-school English.  In addition to instructing in the English departments of Riverside Brookfield High School, where she was the yearbook advisor, and Hinsdale Central High School, Kate has tutored one-on-one for years. She shares the OSWW philosophy that students need to develop strong fundamental writing skills, but that building those skills need not be a tedious, boring experience.

Services for high-schoolers: Spot Tutoring and Personal Coaching

NOTE, March 9: Kate and Molly are almost booked for high-school summer coaching. Please contact us soon if you would like one-on-one writing coaching for your high-school student.

OSWW offers two programs for high-school students.

The OSWW Writing Coach Program is available to a handful of students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each student completes a diagnostic evaluation which, along with parent input, provides the basis for the creation of a personal writing curriculum that integrates school assignment guidance. One-on-one meetings occur regularly and frequently, but on a schedule that works for both student and instructor. Clients who participate in this program also have highest priority for appointments with instructors.

Spot Tutoring provides timely guidance on school writing assignments. Ideally, students contact us enough in advance to an assignment deadline that we can meet at least once, with email and phone follow-up as needed.

Kate and Molly are available to meet on most weekday evenings and some weekend days, by appointment. If this is something you'd be interested in, please email (molly@oldschoolwritingworkshop.com) or call us (630.272.7885) anytime.