Timmy
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Pennsylvania - Bachelors, Chemistry
ACT Composite: 35
ACT English: 34
ACT Math: 36
ACT Reading: 34
ACT Science: 34
SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1470
SAT Math: 790
Cats, Taekwondo, Real Estate Investments
Algebra 3/4
AP Computer Science
AP Computer Science A
College English
College Physics
Conversational Mandarin
High School English
High School Physics
Mandarin Chinese 1
SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1
SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2
SAT Subject Tests Prep
Technology and Coding
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension is a skill that, in my opinion, requires the most work from the student. However, the answer is quite simple: find material that interests the student and read more of it.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I found the most successful strategies for students are to gauge what the students actually know, from the current concept being tested in, say, a certain question, or relevant, more basic concepts. To know what a student doesn't know is the key to helping students master class materials.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I think the most effective way is to draw a "game plan." Once a student has a visual guide to master class material, it simply becomes a game to follow the schedule and overcome the struggle they once had.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
My most commonly used technique is to come up with similar problems for the students to do themselves. The only way to make sure students understand the problems is if they can correctly answer the problem themselves.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
For my students, I like to go through with them and build an exhaustive list of topics that a professor could ever ask them. Once each of those topics is mastered, the students should be extremely confident; they know they could answer any question on a test with certainty.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I gauge how much the students actually understand. Sometimes, students don't know what questions to even ask to get started. Once I get an understanding for what they should know and see how much they actually know, I start from the basics to build up to the concept that is giving them trouble.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I think all student needs are stemmed from a lack of foundation in earlier, more basic concepts. I adapt to students' tutoring needs by gauging how much students know currently, and what needs to be done to understand the concept at hand.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
For test prep, I would typically use official study guides. For subjects like math, I typically go on a more improvised tutoring style, where I take problems that students have and make my own to master core concepts that problems would test.
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is really about mastering basic concepts. Any trouble that students have can usually be attributed to a lack of understanding of an earlier, more basic concept.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In the first session, I typically gauge how much students know, how much they would need to know to meet their goals, and go over how they would execute that plan. With this, students will have a more definitive plan to achieve their academic goals.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I think the most important aspect of becoming an independent learner is to be able to ask the most important questions: what should I be learning? Why am I learning this? What steps do I take to get there? As a tutor, I am committed to helping students ask the right questions; questions that beget a long-term independent learner for high school, college, and life.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Just like any successful sports team, students need a "game plan" to tackle their studies. While some may use more tacit approaches to planning their coursework (plan in their mind), I find that drawing out a plan is more visual and organized. A game plan really only needs three things: where the student is now, what the teacher expects of the student, and how to reach and exceed those expectations. With this effective game plan, tackling coursework should be as straightforward as a game!
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
When it comes down to it, difficulty understanding a skill or concept is simply a misunderstanding in translating earlier, more basic concepts to the current concept at hand.