Garland Hancock / Free-Trial Tutoring

We had a great experience with Mr. Garland Hancock for my son who is in 8th grade now. My son started with Mr. Hancock 2 years ago during the pandemic when everything was closed, and we were looking to find a teacher who can help him improve his Reading and Writing skills. Mr. Hancock did one to one session over Zoom and guided him on improving his reading skills. He personalized the session based on how my son will adapt and started working with him. He recommended books for him to read, write down words that he does not know the meaning of, and read according to the pace he should be at for 30min. He also worked with him to keep a journal where he must spend 5 min every day and write about anything that happened during the day. They discussed sports, books, and other common things between them. Mr. Garland has a knack for working with the kids and their interests. My son looks out for the sessions every weekend and enjoys his time with Mr. Garland. As per my son, “Mr. Garland is the greatest teacher ever”. I highly recommend Mr. Garland and anyone who has a chance to learn from him will highly benefit. Thank you, Mr. Garland! More...

Mr. Garland is an amazing teacher who has helped me improve my writing skills and do better in school. I highly recommend him because he is very flexible and knows exactly what each student needs. His way of teaching is personalized to each student which I think has helped me a lot. More...

He is extremely interactive, wants to learn about his students and will do anything and everything he can to ensure they are the best writers they can be.

It was our pleasure to meet Garland and gain insight into his tutoring approach. He was personable, thorough, and we are eager to have our child work with him on ELA. He detailed ways to developing writing abilities that foster excitement while also honing the more tedious skills. I, for one, was fascinated with his storytelling and evident passion for language. More...

Mr Garland is great teacher and My son like the way he teaches.

Very thorough and knowledgeable.

Hi i am arnav i am 12 years old . He is very kind and patience with me when i don't understand anything he still helps me . And he wants me to be a better writer More...

He is amazing, though my best way of how to improving my writing. He has a patin for me and tried to understand me with my limited English.

Garland is a gifted writer whose creativity proficiently motivates others to express themselves in written word.

Over the 50-some-odd years I have known Gary (aka Garland), I have seen him evolve into a top-notch writer / editor whose zeal for language spreads to those he teaches.

Gary bends the learning curve dramatically upward because his students buy into his JAR method hook, line and sinker. Of course, it also helps that he makes learning fun.

He and I have previously burnt the midnight oil discussing the similarities between music (my profession) and English composition (his bailiwick).

Gary contends that students should learn to write the way they speak. So the first order of business, he tells me, is to improve oral skills. Once we get those down, we can begin to write in the moment and without hesitation … the same as a musician must be in sync with real time whenever performing live.

Bottom line, if you are looking for someone who can go beyond simply marking up papers, I think Gary is the ticket. He diagnoses why mistakes are made in the first place and then customizes a methodology to mitigate them in the future.

In fact, I would describe him more as a writing coach than a traditional classroom instructor. And that is really what you should be looking for in a tutor … someone who has the pedagogical training AND real-world experience to make an appreciable difference. More...

I want to take a few moments to talk about Mr. Garland, who has been helping my kids for the last two years without expecting anything in return.

We are very fortunate to have come across Mr. Garland: a selfless person who not only deeply cares about others but also accomplishes tasks per their needs. His charitable service is something I rarely see in this generation, and his helping nature is a refreshing trait I long to see more.

In many ways, Mr. Garland has brought up my kids. Because of him, my son outperforms many of his classmates in the context of critical thinking skills, spelling, and having the discipline of writing a journal entry every day. Learning from mistakes, the importance of knowing the current events/news, and efficient communication skills are just a few things Mr. Garland has taught my kids.

Through our interactions, he has shared his numerous experiences, I have learned how humble he is. I see the great extents he goes to so he can not only help unfortunate students but also assist exchange students who have come to America as part of exchange students. Because of his accomplishments, I am proud to say I know such a generous, brilliant person like Mr. Garland.

I give the sincerest recommendation of Mr. Garland for his future ventures and am sure that whoever takes him as part of their team would be pleased, they did so in no time at all.

Mr. Garland is a delight to work with, and I would definitely recommenf him in a heartbeat.

Thank you,


Sunny More...

I studied under Mr. Garland for a couple of years and found him to be different than any English teacher I have ever had.

I guess the best way to describe it is that he teaches composition the way, according to Mr. Garland, professional writers approach their craft. And that is a lot different from the way writing is taught in school.

There are many things I will always recall from our sessions together, but there is one thing in particular that stands out. Early on, Mr. Garland explained to me that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.

In school, I would always overthink writing assignments, and that made the whole ordeal torturous. My assumption was that if I would just try harder (think more), my writing would get better.

However, Mr. Garland patiently taught me the flaw in that logic. In other words, he convinced me to let go of my “crazy ways” and open my mind to whether an easier approach might actually work better.

Now that I fully understand it, Mr. Garland’s JAR method – Journal-Attack-Read – makes perfect sense. Again, he claims it is nothing new, but rather the way most professionals go about writing. And I believe him!

In fact, now that I am just a couple of years away from college, I have come to enjoy working with words. And I think that is largely due to Mr. Garland convincing me to think outside the box … to try something radically different.

Today, my writing is not just better; it is less taxing. I actually produce better quality in less time.

Now, I have no plans to become a professional like Mr. Garland. But I know that whatever I settle on career-wise will require excellent communication skills.

So whoever reads this, please heed my advice. Take Mr. Garland’s class for a couple of weeks. I promise you will be hooked. Besides, you would be “crazy” to do otherwise. More...

I first met Gary (aka Garland) 24 years ago and soon thereafter started submitting a weekly cartoon to the weekly newspaper he published in Van Alstyne, Texas.

Then, before I knew it, I was every Wednesday evening helping him put out a newspaper he singlehandedly wrote, edited and designed. So I can well speak to his ability to get someone up to speed in a hurry.

Knowing absolutely nothing of the newspaper industry, I basically learned on the job. I had no choice. There were ever-looming deadlines!
The short of it is I could see then that Gary was in his element teaching others what came second-nature to him.

To be honest, though, I had never paid that little paper much attention until my cartoon appeared in it. So I had no clue whether Gary could actually write.

But the week prior to Independence Day 1999, he wrote a feature on me. It appeared as a prelude to my performing at a community-held event in Van Alstyne’s city park. (I make my living as a guitarist / cover artist.)

Anyway, the story he wrote let me know he had some chops. And about eight years ago, he and I collaborated on a dozen commercial spots for radio. He would write the scripts in literally minutes, and I would then voice the spots and provide the music / sound effects.

The point is the guy can not only teach, but – as I have learned over the years – boasts some impressive skins on the wall that validate his writing skills.

And I just this week learned that Gary is writing a massive 900-page tome (“A Gringo’s Guide to Musica / The University of Texas Press).

So … I suppose you see where this is headed. If you are looking for a bang for your buck, you cannot, in my opinion, go wrong hiring Gary -- someone who not only works well with students of all ages, but commands their respect with his own compositional achievements. More...

Hello Prospective Students,

If you are looking to take your writing skills to the next level or just better your English in general, you will be in good hands with Garland Hancock.

Mr. Hancock has won several awards over the years, including a prestigious Katie Award, which, on a regional level, is comparable to a Pulitzer.

He also has drawn critical acclaim for a magazine – J.D. Mayo's Full-Court Press -- that he has composed, edited and published in the past.

Simply put, Mr. Hancock is blessed with a God-given talent to string together words in a way that grabs attention and entertains while all along informing the reader. It is a unique combination.

But you may be asking, “Can he teach?”

His track record provides the proof in the pudding. I have known Mr. Hancock for more than a decade now, and he has always had a group of students – from young to adult – that has excelled under his tutelage.

I think the key to his success is his passion. Mr. Hancock truly cares about each and every one of his students reaching his or her full potential. He refuses to ever give up on anyone!

-- J.D. Mayo
(214) 532-2736 More...

I worked with Gary (aka Garland) for several years and have kept in touch with him for what, almost 20?! That's wild. If anyone is looking for English/writing/composition tutoring, he's your guy.

I have known Garland Hancock for longer than either of us care to admit since we first worked together. He has been tutoring students online for a number of years, so he's more adept than most at virtual instruction. Although I'm retired now, I spent a decade teaching international students at Texas A&M University through the English Language Institute, the last two years as interim director. More...

Hi, I'm Rijul, Mr. Garland's student and I am 8 years old. Mr. Garland is a good teacher because he taught me a lot of things like spelling and how the president was elected. He also fixed my writing when I made mistakes.

Some of the things I like about Mr. Garaland are, he is a good listener when I try to teach him things, he respects me and my family, and he tells me about world news.

I recommend Mr. Garland because he is a good teacher he could help a lot more students. I wish him all the best.

Thanks

Rijul J More...