Writing Teacher Nick Weiss

A message from the founder

I started Insight Writing out of a sense of frustration. I was working with students on their writing homework, but didn’t feel like I was actually making them better writers. Not a good feeling! 

The problem was the due date. Students were so focused on getting their assignments done (understandably!) that it was hard to do the deeper, more patient work that would help them in the long term. 

So I started offering writing support that made lasting improvement the main goal.

It turns out this is much tougher as a teacher! Helping kids finish their homework is easy. Designing an individualized path to help them become better writers is hard.

But it was also much more fun! The parents who came to me cared about writing as much as I did. I got to feel creative and far more useful as a teacher. And I got to see my students have those “aha” moments as their writing and critical thinking skills blossomed.

Most of all, I love using writing as a way to help my students see more deeply into their world and their experience.

Nick Weiss graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, where he was awarded a John Harvard Scholarship. He spent 15 years as a professional screenwriter and director, including projects with CBS, Universal, Paramount, and ABC, as well as teaching English at LA’s Campbell Hall School. He has worked with countless students of all ages from the country’s most competitive schools to build writing fundamentals and a love of the writing craft.

About our team

Our talented team of teachers love writing, and love helping students get better at it. 

All prospective teachers go through a careful vetting process that includes mock lessons so we can see their approach in action. In addition, we have regular check-in meetings with every teacher about every student to collaborate on assessment and overall approach.

We take pride in our ability to find great fits between teachers and our families. Having variety among our teachers — in terms of background and personal style — allows us to accommodate each families’ priorities, including personality match and pricing.

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  • Instrumental.

    “We have been working with Nick weekly for over two years, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Nick has been instrumental in helping navigate the rigors of an academic school. Not only have my son’s grades improved significantly, but he has gone from viewing writing as a chore to truly loving it.”

    — Julia C, 9th/6th grade parent

  • Writing with ease.

    “For the first time, our son actually looks forward to writing assignments, which was something we hadn’t seen before. He approaches his writing homework with ease these days. He handles the assignments more smoothly and with less stress. He doesn't struggle with starting assignments, generating ideas, and elaborating on those ideas with more detail.”

    — Madhavi R, 5th grade parent

  • Improvement after only a few lessons.

    “My daughter took to her tutor Emma right away, which was wonderful because she doesn't always warm up to teachers quickly. It's great to have her working with someone she can relate to who clearly understands how to explain things in a way that make sense to her. I could see an improvement in both her classwork and her confidence after only the first few lessons. My daughter seems much less stressed about English class. It's obvious that she loves having Emma in her corner and her grades reflect that as well.”

    — Anna A, 10th grade parent

  • An enormous difference.

    “Working with Insight Writing has made an enormous difference for our teen. Writing used to be stressful especially since he is normally disorganized and struggles to share. But his sessions have taught him to break the process into clear, manageable steps—how to structure ideas, stay focused, and improve vocabulary.”

    — Adam G, 7th grade parent

  • The perfect balance.

    “Insight Writing combines the perfect balance of rigor and encouragement. Our boys never complained before any of the sessions, which is a huge win for preteen boys!”

    - Courtney F, 4th/8th grade parent

  • Kindness and enthusiasm.

    “Insight Writing has been a wonderful asset to my daughter’s writing process, and it has all been done with such kindness and enthusiasm that my daughter did not feel as though it was a chore for her. Instead she looked forward to writing and now approaches it in high school with confidence.”

    - Kathy G, 11th grade parent

  • Sacred.

    “My daughter regards her weekly writing lessons as sacred.  No matter how much homework she has, or competing activities, she prioritizes that meeting over almost everything else.”

    - Danya B, 12th grade parent

  • Mission accomplished.

    “My son was earning B's in English during 7th grade. Other parents highly recommended Insight Writing. My son took several classes last summer and is now in 8th grade, earning all A's. Mission accomplished.”

    –Ali Z, 8th grade parent

  • More than in school.

    “Nick makes writing enjoyable for my daughters. They look forward to sessions and have learned many new writing skills. They say they have learned more from Insight Writing than in their school class.”

    – Julie L, 8th/9th/11th parent

  • Notable improvement.

    “The improvement is visible, and we know things are working well when our kid looks forward to the sessions. His writing has shown notable improvement in elaboration. It also comes off very natural, which may sound obvious but feels important in this AI-prevalent age.”

    — Derick W, 5th parent