Valeria: Woodridge tutor
Certified Tutor
I am a recent graduate of Florida International University (FIU) and have attained my Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. I am currently working on my prerequisites so I can continue working for my Master's in Speech Language Pathology. I first discovered tutoring while attending college. I would assist the children of nearby neighbors and I discovered the joy of helping a student finally realize their own talent for learning. I was able to teach them the knowledge that they needed and they were able to teach me both experience and how to adapt my teaching methods to the needs of the student. I teach a broad variety of subjects, but my favorite subject to tutor is mathematics. Math has always been a passion of mine and I like to try and pass on that passion and appreciation of the subject. In doing so, the goal is to teach students that math is not impossible, but within their reach if given enough support. In terms of a teaching philosophy or tutoring style, there is no one way to learn, and therefore, students should be provided multiple ways and entry points to help them succeed and learn successfully. Outside of academics, I spend my time reading, biking, and exploring nature.
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Undergraduate Degree: Florida International University - Bachelors, Early Childhood Education
My interests include reading, biking, and exploring nature. I also love listening to music.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning is possible, no matter how hard it seems. All a student needs is the right push from just the right angle, and he/she will be able to see the knowledge from a brand new perspective, and learning can then take place.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
The first thing I would like to do is get to know the student a little bit more. For example, what motivates a student, how they learn, their favorite subjects, and what are their strengths/weaknesses in a particular topic. Things like that help me to zero in on what a student needs help with and how I can work to best meet their needs.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
As students first learn new information, I like to help scaffold them. That is to say that I first show them how to solve or do a problem. After a few problems (depending on the student), the student starts becoming more and more involved in doing it by him/herself until he/she can solve the problem independently. Once a student completely masters the basics, it is easier to just add onto that foundation, and students can find that learning becomes easier with a strong foundation.