Cila Warncke
Cila’s personal journey from home school to the Ivy League has fuelled her passion for helping exceptional students craft unique success stories.
Her teaching practice draws on more than 25 years’ experience as an author, journalist, writing coach and editor.
Cila’s speciality is supporting gifted, twice-exceptional and neurodivergent young people. Her extensive personal and professional involvement in this community equips her to offer holistic, evidence-based, learner-centered education in a supportive, inclusive environment.
For the past 10 years, Cila has taught English literature and linguistics, writing, and EAL in private schools in the United States, Spain and France.
She now works online with students around the globe.
Qualifications:
- University of Barcelona: MA, Education
- Glasgow University: MLitt, Creative Writing
- University of Pennsylvania: BA, English Literature
Cila
The making of an educator
Age four, I picked up a Frog & Toad book and read it aloud to my mother.
It would be 40 years before I heard the word hyperlexia, but it was clear from childhood that my language skills were out of the ordinary.
When I entered 7th grade after years of “unschooling” my academic abilities masked difficulties with executive function and social skills.
As long as I got straight As, which I did, and 99% percentile standardized test scores (ditto), teachers assumed I had it all under control. They were half right.
I graduated top of my class and was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania. Its elite standards honed my strengths but exposed my weaknesses. Like many gifted students with concurrent exceptionalities, I struggled.
After graduation I landed my dream job as a music journalist in my dream city, London. But the tension between how easy some hard things were and how hard some easy things were, never fully resolved.
This insight is central to my teaching philosophy: the most brilliant minds deserve the most support.
I work with learners to develop academic, social and emotional toolkits to thrive in and out of school.
"It is the most brilliant minds that need the most support. "
Maria (12th grade gifted student)
"It would be hard to find another person so contagiously in love with the subject they teach."
Jon (parent, 9th grade student with autism)
"Cila's measured, quiet reassurance has put our son at ease after previous traumatic school experiences."
Katya (parent, IGCSE student with dyslexia)
"Thank you again for being such a wonderful teacher. My daughter absolutely loves her lessons!"
