Ben
Certified Tutor
I graduated from Vanderbilt University with Honors, and earned my Bachelor's in Asian Studies with a concentration in China and Mandarin Language. I spent six months in Kunming, China, which included one language-intensive semester with a Middlebury College program and two months of independent travel and research. I worked for three years as a Peer Writing Consultant at the Vanderbilt Writing Studio, where I met with undergraduate and graduate students one-on-one to help them improve their writing. Outside the classroom, I rebuild motorcycles, write poetry and fiction, and hitchhike.
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Undergraduate Degree: Vanderbilt University - Bachelors, Asian Studies
Motorcycle mechanics, hitchhiking, poetry.
- ACT English
- ACT Reading
- ACT Science
- ACT Writing
- Adult Literacy
- American Literature
- College Application Essays
- College English
- Conversational Mandarin
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- High School Level American Literature
- High School Writing
- History
- Languages
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 1
- Mandarin Chinese 2
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Reading Comprehension
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- Public Speaking
- SAT Writing and Language
- Spanish
- Spanish 1
- Test Prep
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe comprehension and retention are best achieved through dialogue, not lecturing.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I like to understand what a student's goals are so that I can work to help them achieve their goals, rather than imposing my own goals onto them.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The best way to make sure a student is motivated to learn on their own is to find a way for them to connect to the subject matter. I like to help students find the approach that actually engages them in the material, rather than assuming their interest will be the same as mine, or worse, forcing them to study something disinterestedly.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Staying motivated requires consistent progress. Approaching new topics can seem daunting, but when broken up into manageable pieces, progress becomes apparent.