Christine
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Missouri University of Science and Technology - Bachelors, Biology, General
Graduate Degree: Arizona State University - Current Grad Student, Biomedical Engineering
ACT Composite: 33
ACT English: 31
ACT Math: 34
ACT Reading: 32
ACT Science: 33
GRE Quantitative: 158
GRE Verbal: 161
Model making; team sports: baseball, soccer, etc; projects in Photoshop;Space;learning about how things are made;Biology;
Anatomy & Physiology
College Biology
German 1
High School Biology
Other
Summer
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Typically, I would get to know the student a bit before jumping into the actual tutoring. I would ask if there are specific areas within the general subject that they are having a particularly hard time with, or if they just want help for the general subject. I would try to determine what teaching methods I might need to employ for this particular student, such as lecture style, using many examples, using analogies, hands-on, etc. For the rest of the session, I would begin working with the student on the subject.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can help students become independent learners by not just simply working through specific questions with them. I would also ask them questions to get them thinking about the subject to hopefully come up with answers on their own. I would encourage the student to attempt problems on their own before seeking help. Even if they don't think they can do it, I have them try to break down the question and figure out where specifically they're getting stumped and then seek help.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
For one, I would never treat them like they are unintelligent for not understanding something. I know what it's like to just not get something until finally it just clicks. So, not understanding a topic at first is no reason for the student or tutor to give up. I would encourage the student to take short breaks and move on to another subject or question. Sometimes focusing too much on something that's just not working can make it that much more difficult to work through.