From my Students:

Ruth pushed me gently to try new ways of writing and experiment with sentence structure and organization. She went above and beyond our normal sessions by responding to my e-mail cries for help. Because of Ruth, I am planning to major in creative writing in college.     Joseph Y.

“Ruth, showed me the joys of poetry, the beauty of non-fiction, and the possibilities in creative prompts. She not only helped sculpt me into a better writer, but unleashed wells of raw inspiration and creativity.”  Abigail Rose

“Ruth, I will always associate writing with you. You were a great tutor. You are an inspiration!”  Sanora, age 12

“I always feel focused and ready to learn when I write with Ruth, and I learn something new every time.”  Raven, age 11

“A single semester of studying with Ruth changed my writing from a few fragments and misused conventions to something that I was, dare I say, proud of! Ruth has perfected the balance of productive lessons and fun.”  Noah, age 15

In Ruth’s classes, students always feel honored and safe. Myca, age 10

In high school I was pretty insecure about my writing. When Ruth invited me to ditch my “monkey mind” – my judgmental inner editor – the world opened and my writing came pouring out, a thousand times better than I ever expected it to be.
My essays were the highlights of my college applications because Ruth coached me through the process. We spent several weeks rewriting and fine-tuning but, as always, the goal was expression, not perfection. Of course, by the end we got both.
Blake Rosenthal,  Reed College

“Ruth has been an exceptional person in my life. She pushed me, inspired me, and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and experiment with all forms of writing.”  Noah, age 16

” Although I had very little writing experience when I first enrolled in one of Ruth’s courses, her encouragement, expertise, and creativity helped me to discover my passion for writing. The skills I gained under Ruth’s instruction helped me to flourish in both my academic and personal writing. Through Ruth’s 10-minute free-writing technique I learned to write confidently under pressure. Today, I study writing at Sarah Lawrence College, and I believe that my time working with Ruth played a large role in my choice to follow the writer’s path.”       Rowan Heglie

 

From Parents:

“I appreciate your excellent teaching, your high standards, and your encouragement with Maddi’s writing. I highly suspect you will be “that teacher” we remember at the Thanksgiving table thirty years from now…the one that Maddi names as being the very first and most important support for all of her future writing.”  Christina, Mom

“Your belief in my child, and all of the kids, was tremendous. Thank you for really challenging them to do their best!”  Denise, Mom

” I will be eternally grateful to Ruth Lizotte for the passion, care and guidance she so graciously shares with her students.
I watched my daughter bloom from a young teen, delighted by story, to a confident young woman, capable of putting words together in ways that brought tears to my eyes, laughter to my lips, and an eagerness for her “next chapter”.  Deborah Ivanoff, Mom ((541-499-5434)

From my Colleagues:

“…I have never seen a more successful language arts teacher in my life. Her objective is  not only to teach the skills through innovative means, but she wants children to fall in love with reading and writing. Under her guidance and tough standards, they do. She has that magical teacher touch, “the gift” that has been honed for over 25 years. 

Tim Carr, Director 
Country Day International School
Guanaste, Costa Rica