Brian
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Ashford University (Mount St. Clare College) - Bachelor in Arts, Elementary Education
Graduate Degree: National Louis University - Masters in Education, Administration and Supervision
Family Time/Sports
College English
College Geography
Elementary School Math
High School English
High School Geography
Other
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
What is your teaching philosophy?
My philosophy in education is that all students have the ability to learn, and it takes the efforts of the educator to help that child learn.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Informative, data collection session. I sit down and talk to the student about their struggles in school, and then I administer a pre- assessment to have a baseline of where the child's ability level is.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By teaching them the strategies that will allow them to attack a problem properly. Make them feel that a solution is only a little hard work away.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Showcasing their successes is the most effective way to keep a child motivated.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Find another way to teach that child that concept. Everyone learns differently, so it is important to find the way that child learns best.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Break down the material into smaller segments. This allows the student to only have to focus on smaller parts of the passage, which allows the opportunity for less confusion and a better chance of retaining the information.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Build a rapport with that student. A student who feels you care will work 1000 times harder for you when you show them you care.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Find something they enjoy, and find a way to incorporate that topic into the subject matter they are struggling in.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I give mini assessments to all of my students to check for understanding and to find areas that need re-teaching.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
By giving them successes in that subject matter. Every success, no matter how small or large, will begin to build on the student’s confidence.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Assessments and observations.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By retooling what is taught to attack the deficiencies of that specific child.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use online tools, tools from curriculum that I have collected throughout my 15 years in education, and the wonderful tools provided in the tutoring platform.