James
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Loyola University-Chicago - Bachelors, Political Science, Economics
ACT Composite: 35
ACT English: 35
ACT Math: 35
ACT Reading: 35
ACT Science: 35
SAT Math: 800
SAT Verbal: 800
LSAT: 174
Cycling, Game of Thrones, Board Games, Mountain Climbing, Body Surfing, Skiing
ACCUPLACER Language Use
ACCUPLACER WritePlacer
AP Research
AP US History
Basic Computer Literacy
British Literature
Business
Business Analytics
Business Calculus
Business Enterprise
Business Ethics
Business Writing
Civics
CLEP Prep
CLEP American Government
CLEP American Literature
CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
CLEP College Composition
CLEP College Composition Modular
CLEP English Literature
CLEP History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present
CLEP Human Growth and Development
CLEP Humanities
CLEP Principles of Macroeconomics
CLEP Principles of Management
CLEP Principles of Microeconomics
CLEP Social Sciences and History
CLEP Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648
CLEP Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present
College Application Essays
College Economics
College English
College Level American History
College Political Science
College World History
High School Business
High School Economics
High School English
High School Level American History
High School Political Science
High School World History
IB Business & Management
IB Economics
IB Economics HL
IB Environmental Systems and Societies
IB Global Politics
IB History
IB Language A: Language and Literature
IB Language A: Language and Literature HL
IB Language A: Language and Literature SL
IB Language A: Literature
IB Language A: Literature HL
IB Language A: Literature SL
IB Literature and Performance
IB Literature and Performance SL
IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation
IB Philosophy
IB Philosophy HL
IB Philosophy SL
IB Social and Cultural Anthropology
IB Social and Cultural Anthropology HL
IB Social and Cultural Anthropology SL
International Business
Macroeconomics
Other
Political Science
Social Sciences
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
Technology and Coding
US Constitutional History
US History
World History
What is your teaching philosophy?
"Everyone 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." Every single person is different. Despite the cliche, it is the single most important principle I hold to during tutoring. Because each person is different, each person needs their own customized approach to tutoring. I firmly believe that the best way to help people learn is to find the methods that fit them, and I have had incredible success with that.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Tutoring is not just about facts: the most important thing I can help you with is creating ways of thinking and understanding that allow you to help yourself. I want to get to know you - your background, where you are now, and where you want to go. Not only does this help to set goals and develop learning strategies tailored to you, but it can help to make you comfortable working with me, and make you more productive in the future.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Teaching should never be about teaching individual facts. The reality is that no matter how much time I spend helping you, we will never be able to cover every possibility or permutation of questions that you can be asked. Instead, what I aim to do is to teach you ways of learning and thinking. In particular, I emphasize critical thinking and logic skills, because I have found these skills best translate to long-term success and growth in education and in life.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I make a serious effort to get to know my students. The first reason is so that I can help you set short, medium and long-term goals that you can realistically meet, helping keep you on track for your success. However, the second is because I want you to see me not only as your teacher, but as your friend. I want you to enjoy our sessions, have fun and look forward to them. The more you enjoy them, the more you will put into them and the more you will get out of them, helping you stay motivated, engaged and succeed.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student is having difficulty learning a concept, the first thing I advise doing is coming at the issue from multiple approaches. This is because the student may simply not have had the concept explained to them in a way they have understood yet. The second is to work through examples with them in order to help solidify their understanding of the concept and to ensure that the application is ensured. If the student is still struggling with the concept, it is best to go back to the work that the concept is building on, and ensure that is rock solid. Ensuring a stable base exists, and then going through the previous steps, will make sure that any concept can be conquered by any student.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I want to get to know you at the beginning of our sessions, and for you to know me. First, I want you to feel comfortable with me - the more comfortable a student is, the more willing they will be to put effort into the sessions, and the more they will get out them. The second is that, if I understand where a student is coming from, where they feel they are academically now, and where they would like to be, I can best target tutoring for that student. By getting to know my students, I not only help them become motivated and get the most out of the sessions, but I also can help them set realistic and positive goals while tailoring my tutoring to be the most effective it can be.