Joseph
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Regis University - Bachelors, Philosophy, Economics
Graduate Degree: University of Missouri - Juris Doctor, Law
Meditation, rock climbing, Olympic weightlifting
Algebra 3/4
AP US History
Business
College Accounting
College Economics
College English
College Geography
College Level American History
Comparative Literature
Executive Functioning
High School Accounting
High School Business
High School Economics
High School English
High School Geography
High School Level American History
Macroeconomics
What is your teaching philosophy?
I make extensive use of the Socratic method to help students talk through the problems they have and recognize where their own understanding is lacking. Then, we can come up with a learning plan tailored to addressing the student's particular needs.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In the typical first session, we will go over the issues the student is having and attempt to create a roadmap for finding the solution.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students learn by doing. By helping students walk through the basic issues that they have through the utilization of the Socratic method, I enable students to practice what they are learning. This enables them to shore up what they already know and begin to anticipate what is coming next. This anticipation is the art of independent learning.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Motivation is fleeting, but discipline is a resource that can be called on at any time. My tutoring will help you to cultivate this discipline through the use of meditation techniques and visualization.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
In my experience, most difficulties arise when students try to grapple with the more complex themes before mastering the basic ones. By focusing on how basic ideas fit together, my tutoring will enable the student to begin to understand the bigger, more difficult concepts.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Honing reading skills takes discipline, but this can be cultivated. By emphasizing how the student approaches the reading and giving the student a method to work through it, reading comprehension can be systematically enhanced.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
When starting to work with a student, the first few sessions are ideally built around developing a learning plan that the student can to apply to the material. In this way, I can begin to better understand the student's needs and s/he will begin to figure out what is necessary to attain mastery.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Getting excited over dense material can be challenging, but I am confident that I will be able to show you why the material is interesting and relevant to your future.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Students should always be confident about their mastery of the material. The only way to gain such confidence is through working out problems and then checking the answers over with me.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
As the students progress with the Socratic method, they will naturally begin to have a personal mastery of the subject. Talking through each of the issues presented will help the students recognize their own deficits in understanding and allow a natural filling in of gaps.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I always begin with a thorough assessment of the student's problems. By utilizing the Socratic method, the student will begin to understand what areas they are most lacking in, and a personalized solution will then be developed to tackle those deficits.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
The Socratic method is infinitely adaptable. Asking questions of the students allows them to become intimately familiar with the difficulties that are presented to them. In this way, they can become more adept at articulating the problems that they are having.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I incorporate a broad array of materials into the section. For the more political subjects, I have a broad reference of items that are related in some way to the underlying theoretical discussions we are having. The scientific ones are best examined through an intimate association with the texts, and then applied to everyday issues.