
Mark: Long Island tutor
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Penn Foster College - Bachelors, Business Management
learning, cooking, graphic design, running, reading, studying scriptures, photography, playing old-school video games, eating, good music, science!
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Study Skills and Organization
What is your teaching philosophy?
Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." My teaching philosophy extends this sentiment by recognizing that typically the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional teaching can miss those students that see the world in a different way. By going one-on-one and understanding the unique approach of an individual, it's easy to see how the material can be explained in a way that makes intuitive sense to them. In this way, it becomes about helping the student to truly understand the material and connect it to what they already know about the world, instead of dumping a list of disconnected facts on them.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In the first session with a new student, my first objective is to understand what the student knows or understands about the particular subject. This can be thought of as letting the student do the teaching at first. This is helpful to see their unique perspective on the topic and also to understand the exact place where there may be confusion. After this, it's time to connect the new information to what they already know.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Helping a student become an independent learner is about letting them ask questions, make connections, and never being afraid to try something in a new way. By giving a student the room to explore, they can see things in the way that makes sense to them and gain an excitement and curiosity that will propel them in their studies even when a tutor isn't there.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Staying motivated can be a difficult thing. To help a student in this area, it depends on why there's a lack of inspiration. I've found that the majority of the time a student says that the topic is boring. However, after understanding a new topic, there is usually a true excitement and motivation to learn more. So I think the main reason most students lose the drive and focus is because it's a chore to memorize a bunch of information without truly understanding it. In order to remedy this, I prefer to show my students how seemingly different concepts relate, and especially how abstract math ideas show up in the real world.