Chigozie
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Walla Walla University - Bachelors, Civil Engineering
Graduate Degree: Ohio University - Masters, Civil Engineering
walking, traveling, mentoring
10th Grade Math
11th Grade Math
12th Grade Math
7th Grade Math
8th Grade Math
9th Grade Math
ACCUPLACER Arithmetic
ACCUPLACER ESL
ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills
CAHSEE Mathematics
College Math
Elementary Algebra
IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches
Other
Summer
Vocabulary
What is your teaching philosophy?
As your math tutor, I make challenging subjects matters more interesting for you to learn and master using real world situations. My goal is to make you an expert in solving problems with ease.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I will get to know my student better by asking him/her what hobbies they like, what they aspire to be when they grow up and show them how the subject I tutor, math, will benefit them in their aspirations and goals.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I help my students become independent learners by being passionate in the subjects I tutor. I may share with them past tricky exam questions and the skills for solving them quickly. I also give them practices problems to ensure they master the materials.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I motivate my students by being excited and passionate in the subjects I teach. I show my students more than one way to solve a particular problem which gives them more options which they never knew they had.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I patiently explain to my students over and over again using different situations. For instance, if I wanted to explain solving an equation for an unknown value, x + 7 = 10, I would say, x has to be a number when added to 7 will give me an answer of 10. What is the number? If they give me a number, I'll have them add it to 7 and if it gives 10, they'll know they figured out the right value for x.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I usually have my students read the questions first, and then read the passage bearing the questions in mind. This has been very effective in answering comprehension questions.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I have found that giving student several practice problems to solve has been very effective. One can never give enough problems. I usually solve 2 or 3 sample problems prior to giving them practices problems.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I teach the subject with the utmost enthusiasm. This gets the student motivated in wanting to learn the subject.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I have my student(s) solve problems independently. At times, they may ask questions to be sure they are doing it correctly. I have discovered that the more practice problems they are given, the more they understand the material(s).
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I will share with them how the subject in question will play an important role in achieving their goals. For instance, if they aspire to be engineers, I would show how solving math problems would lead them to becoming designers of some very magnificent structures such as bridges, high rise buildings, tunnels, etc.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I would give my student a pre-test to see where his/her challenges lie. I will prioritize my tutoring in the topics where he/she had the lowest scores and progressively work towards areas of where higher scores were attained.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I always work out at least two sample problems and get my student to participate in arriving at the answer. If during the participation they give a wrong answer, I'll ask how he/she came up with the answer. They sometime can explain how they arrived at their answer, and this way I am able to make the corrections.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I like using various textbooks, past test/exam papers, occasionally some videos and calculators.