Elizabeth: Chelsea tutor
Certified Tutor
In brief, I am a recent University of Chicago graduate with a penchant towards biology, history, and writing. I achieved cum laude in high school, honors in college, have co-authored four scientific manuscripts, and was accepted into Johns Hopkins for graduate school.
However, when I look back at these achievements, what I remember most was the hard work behind them. In all the sleepless nights writing essays or figuring through biochemical pathways, I repeatedly wished I had someone to help me wrap my brain around concepts I just couldn't grasp on my own.
These experiences are what motivate me to be the best teacher possible to my students. The stress of falling behind your peers not only impacts your present success, but also can affect your lifelong attitude towards learning.
I know firsthand that competition only grows as students move up in the academic world, therefore, asking for help when it's needed is crucial. The better a student understands how their mind best comprehends and approaches different subjects, the better set up they are to endure and thrive when the going gets rough.
Thank you for your consideration!
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Chicago - Bachelors, Biological Sciences
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1510
- SAT Verbal: 790
- SAT Writing: 740
- GRE Verbal: 166
Scientific research, literature, baking, cooking, hiking, camping, dance, small furry pets
- Biology
- College Biology
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE Analytical Writing
- High School Biology
- High School Chemistry
- Middle School Science
- SAT Writing and Language
- Science
- Test Prep
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Figure out what motivates them and play to their strengths. Help them understand that, no matter what the subject is, having learning tools that are fitted to their learning style will help them succeed.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Enthusiasm and honesty. Sometimes you love a subject, and sometimes you just need to get through it and onto the next stage in your academic career. Either way, it's important to succeed.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Get to know what skills and concepts they do understand, and figure out how to apply the tenets of that to the subject they find difficult.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Have them read it out loud to me in segments, and allow them to voice their thoughts on it without judgement. Reading comprehension is always within reach if we figure out how to adapt to our individual learning styles.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Get to know how they perceive themselves personally and academically, as well as what they have heard from parents or teachers. What subjects/hobbies do they like and why do they like them? Same for subjects they dislike. This gives me a multilevel introduction to their learning style, and it's a great place to work from.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Realistic enthusiasm. It's in my nature to always find what's exciting and impactful about different subjects, and I always try to relate that to students. No matter how difficult, everything we learn will influence our learning life as we move forward.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Break it down and talk it through. Make sure they can explain the bigger picture AND component parts without looking to me to fill in the gaps.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Repetition, repetition, repetition! Practice something enough times and in enough ways, and confidence will come.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Converse with them in an open and honest way. Allow them to talk with me about what they struggle with and what they excel, at and work from there. This is the approach some of my greatest professors used with me, and I will never forget the impact it had on me.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By reading their reaction and making sure that they know it's safe to be honest with me. Many students, especially high achieving ones, habitually hide their gaps in understanding because they don't want to be judged for them. If we can work through that, the rest of it is easy.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
It will depend on the student's learning style, but regardless, always doing practice problems/practice essays.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Enthusiasm, adaptability, and persistence!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know how they perceive themselves personally and academically, as well as what they have heard from parents or teachers. What subjects/hobbies do they like and why do they like them? Same for subjects they dislike. This gives me a multilevel introduction to their learning style, and it's a great place to work from.