Mirabelle: Prospect Heights tutor
Certified Tutor
I was lucky to have my teacher in college whom I still call mentor now. Four years in college with this special gift built the cornerstone for who I have become and who I have been striving to be. I am forever grateful to my mentor for she did not only teach me knowledge in books but she also taught me how to be a person. I know that the time I met my mentor was the time my life met its turning point: My life has become different since then.
My college memories with my English teacher are sweet and still inspirational. She is a graceful lady with an artistic temperament, delicate yet powerful. She is a living example of how education can change a person and benefit the society. Her influence on me never ceases to remind me of the virtue of helping people change their lives to the best of my ability.
And to do that, communication is important and indispensible. The better part of education is communication, in a proper way on the right platforms. I believe one can only do satisfying jobs if he/she has passion for them. I would be more than happy to share my Chinese knowledge and experiences with friends from various backgrounds and cultures. I would treat my students the way I want to be treated by a responsible and insightful teacher.
I am just as curious as every student and I am sure I will be a good student to my students in other respects because from each other we can always learn something.
Receiving a Master's degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communication from New York University and a Bachelor's degree in English and American Literature, I tutor Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese.
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Undergraduate Degree: Guangdong University of Technology - Bachelors, English and American Literature
Graduate Degree: New York University - Masters, Public Relations and Corporate Communication
literature; history; reading; going to museums and galleries; watching movies; learning new languages; conversing with nice people; traveling; photographing; food tasting; coffee tasting ...
- Cantonese
- Conversational Mandarin
- Languages
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 1
- Mandarin Chinese 2
- Mandarin Chinese 3
- Mandarin Chinese 4
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning a new language is nothing more than cultural communication. Students may feel silly themselves at the very beginning though that is not because they are stupid, but quite the opposite: they are smart enough to take a challenge in life and come prepared to conquer it. Just the spirit is worth applauding! I admire people who are willing to start from scratch, as I know they are architects of their own future success. I would be more than happy to make friends with each and every one of my students and help them enjoy learning and practicing to the fullest. As to language learning/teaching, I give priority to listening: both listening to what students have to say about their feelings and needs, and encourage students to listen to the new language they are learning. After all, babies listen before they speak.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I listen to students first! I will listen to each student's learning motivation and inspiration, so I can personalize the classes.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students have to be resourceful to become independent learners. I would recommend helpful resources and give students encouragement.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Let them see their own progress and how much they have achieved.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would try different ways on different platforms to exemplify the skill or concept. I would simplify it and make it easy to understand.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I would break things down and do sentence-to-sentence analysis.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Be equals with students. Be friends.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Show them something new/surprising they have never imagined could happen.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
body language; vivid digital demonstration
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Tell them they do great, and they would do even better.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I talk with students and observe their needs in a way that would not embarrass them.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I would first communicate with students to see where they are at, and then I would ask for their preferences in terms of ways and platforms of learning. I would design learning plans according to what students express and make it easy for them to learn.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
If students have materials they prefer, I would love to check up on the materials and continue using them if they are suitable to students' needs. Otherwise I would go out of my way to find resources for specific and individualized needs : )