Laura
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Stanford University - Bachelors, Human Biology
Running, biking, swimming, reading, trivia nights and stand-up comedy shows.
College Biology
Elementary School
Elementary School Math
Elementary School Reading
Elementary School Science
Elementary School Writing
High School Biology
High School Chemistry
High School Physics
ISEE Prep
ISEE-Lower Level Mathematics Achievement
ISEE-Lower Level Quantitative Reasoning
ISEE-Lower Level Verbal Reasoning
ISEE-Lower Level Writing
ISEE-Middle Level Mathematics Achievement
ISEE-Middle Level Quantitative Reasoning
ISEE-Middle Level Verbal Reasoning
ISEE-Middle Level Writing
ISEE-Upper Level Mathematics Achievement
ISEE-Upper Level Quantitative Reasoning
ISEE-Upper Level Verbal Reasoning
ISEE-Upper Level Writing
Middle School Science
Other
SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1
SAT Subject Tests Prep
Spanish 1
What is your teaching philosophy?
I preach deductive teaching, a method that puts the power in the hands and mind of the learner to puzzle through a challenging problem or topic. When you finally get to that "Aha!" moment, you'll have built up a greater confidence in your abilities to conquer future challenges!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
When we first meet, I'll start by inquiring about your goals for our tutoring sessions, to make sure that I'll be able to address your needs most effectively. Then, we'll either drive straight in or begin with an assessment of sorts for us to determine together whether there are certain areas we'll want to focus.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Tutoring is, ultimately, all about bringing out a learner's inner confidence in his or her own ability to solve problems and master material. Therefore, my job will be to show you tips and tricks that will help you realize that even when you feel stumped, you really do always have it in you to find the correct answer.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Often, I find that students get bogged down in reading comprehension, because they approach it as a chore, when reading truly ought to be fun and engaging in its own right. If you bring an ease and enjoyment back into reading, comprehension will naturally follow.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
If a method isn't working, we'll find another one together. One advantage of working with me is that I have no formal background in one tutoring/teaching method over another, which allows me to be very flexible in finding the best approach to use with each client.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I prefer to work with students' actual homework, past quizzes and tests, textbooks from class, or official practice standardized tests. This way, we focus on helping the student excel in the actual environment and under the same conditions in which he or she will ultimately be assessed.