Steve
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: McGill University - Bachelors, Finance & Accounting
Graduate Degree: University of Chicago - Masters, Computer Science
GRE: 340
GRE Quantitative: 170
GRE Verbal: 169
golf, baseball, rugby (played on National Canadian Junior team 1999-2001
Algebra 3/4
Business
C++
College Accounting
College Computer Science
Computer Programming
Financial Accounting
GMAT Quantitative
High School Accounting
High School Business
High School Computer Science
Java
Managerial Accounting
Quantitative Reasoning
Software
Software Engineering
Technology and Coding
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that one of the key elements in determining success is confidence. I am able to coach greater confidence in the subjects I tutor. Not only will you understand the subject better, but you will be a confident student in exams and teacher conversations.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
We will go over specific questions that you may need further clarified. I will use those questions to get a better idea of where you are in the subject matter. From there, we will cover the current material in your class to get you better up to speed. I am happy to cover whatever you would like during the tutoring session. I am here to help you!
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I will build your confidence by going over the subject matter in a linear direction. As we successfully learn each step, you will see your confidence in the subject increase. Therefore, you will stay motivated to learn more. I also try to teach the subject in a way that will interest you in particular.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Patience and confidence building.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I always try to teach a subject by making it more interesting to the student. This might be by using extracurricular interests to demonstrate the subject or by talking outside of the subject's scope to give real life application.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By listening to the student interpret and go over the course's description.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By empowering the student with self-confidence. This confidence is based on the understanding of the core principles, and the experience of facing and beating challenges.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Start at the beginning and then approach the topic from another angle. I would learn what the student is interested in and apply an analogy. Analogies can be very powerful learning tools, as they contain information about relationships that come in a very easy way to understand for the student.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I ask questions. I start with really simple questions to build the student's confidence. Once I feel they understand the core concepts, I will ask them to explain it to me. If the student can 'teach' me the topic, I know the student understands.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I build a student's confidence through successes. I find the limit of the student's understanding and go back a couple of steps to build confidence with them on the concepts they already understand. With that foundation and confidence, we work to the next step and bridge the understanding until the student grasps the concept.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Listen, watch, and observe the student's behavior and how they react to my questions. The student will indicate what piques their curiosity and what tunes them out. Generally, I like to use everyday words as much as possible before using specific topic jargon.