Mitchell
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Drury University - Bachelors, Biology and Chemistry
-Huge soccer fan, played in college. -English/Spanish speaker. -Medical Student
MCAT Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
College Biology
Conversational Spanish
General Biology
Guitar
High School Biology
MCAT Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Molecular Biology
Music
Spanish 1
What is your teaching philosophy?
Bill Nye had it right. I'm serious. Explaining infinitely complex concepts in words that are simple enough for a kid to understand can make all the difference when it comes to learning. That's the kind of teacher that made things click for me, so that's the kind of teacher I want to be.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Moving away from lecturing would be the first move. Next, I think I would develop questions that target the things the student struggles the most with. This would hopefully create a "self-learning" kind of environment.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
It's about finding common ground with the student, and helping them understand that the material is helping them achieve their ultimate goal.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Find different ways to explain the same concept. The simplest way to explain a concept is often the best, so I think the key is finding different and simple ways to explain complex concepts.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Practice, practice, practice. Reading comprehension is greatly facilitated by developing the right mindset while reading and knowing what to look for.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I think that getting know exactly where the student is at academically is the first big step when starting to work with a student. Concepts often build upon each other, so it is important for me to establish a starting point from which to build.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I know that I get excited about a subject whenever things become applicable to me, so that's a big key to getting a student into the subject. I also think finding common ground and establishing a good relationship is a good strategy, because people often want to emulate people they look up to and find things in common with.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would try to construct questions that could only be answered with a correct and thorough knowledge of a certain concept.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Encouragement is a big thing. I think rewarding students when they are correct is important.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
In part by asking them where they struggle, but also by going through concepts and seeing exactly how the student visualizes and thinks of them.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
This would depend on the student and what kind of common ground we can find. I think contouring my tutoring to the student is vital to the success of the student.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Definitely the materials that helped it click for me. I'm sure I'm not the first student that has struggled with the material, so if certain things helped it click for me then there's a chance it will help someone else.