Travis
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Houston-Victoria - Bachelors, Accounting
I have been a drummer for about 13 years now, and have played with several professional bands and organizations from country, gospel, hip-hop, punk and metal. I have also been involved in motorsports for several years now, and actually started road racing with my fiance a few years ago. This is what drove my decision to go back to school and acquire a Mechanical Engineering degree
Business
College Economics
High School Business
High School Economics
What is your teaching philosophy?
The only things that separates people is effort. If you show up and give me 100% of yours, then I promise you will have 100% of mine. I take a personal pride and satisfaction in seeing others succeed, in seeing those "light bulb" moments when the answer clicks, and in seeing the satisfaction of solving a difficult problem or concept.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would get to know the student. See how they study, see how they learn, see how their brain makes connections, and try to find the best way to relate relevant topics and answers to their questions.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By not teaching steps, but concepts. The old concept of giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish holds true. If the student is able to grasp the fundamental ideas and theories of a problem, then they can often times figure out the steps to solve, instead of simply memorizing steps.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I have been discouraged by classes that have gotten the better of me in the past, and have actually had tutors of my own. The best way to stay motivated is to break things down into small achievements, and the small victories are what keep you motivated.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student doesn't understand something, it is not their fault, its mine. I obviously need to find a way to relate concepts or ideas better to make it relevant and meaningful to them.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
By helping them break down the questions into bite sized chunks and realizing what the question is asking at a more manageable level.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Identifying where the student's strengths and weaknesses are. Sometimes a constant struggle with current material is due to simply not understanding a prior concept.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
By helping the student understand the importance of small victories. When you are able to quickly answer questions and show a firm understanding of the material it goes a long way as far as attitude and morale are concerned.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Repetition and different angles. It needs to be similar enough that the student feels familiar with the material, but different enough that it forces them to think and really apply the concepts.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Again, small victories. Acknowledge what the student already knows and show how what they are attempting to learn builds upon those principles.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I watch them work a few problems and have them talk me through their thought process along the way. This helps me identify how neat they keep their work, their mastery of a subject, and their ability to understand what a problem is asking.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By understanding what the student needs to be successful. Some students simply need a boost in confidence, while some students need concepts to be broken down or approached from different angles to make sense.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Textbooks are always great references because answers are often included in the back. This allows a student to immediately see that they are understanding the material if their answer is right, or be able to evaluate why their answer was wrong.