Syed Maisam: Villa Park tutor
Certified Tutor
I am a 3rd year senior attending the University of South Florida. My major is biomedical sciences and I have many varied interests. I am currently working on my thesis and learning programming for an internship. I can speak English, Urdu, and Hindi fluently.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of South Florida-Main Campus - Current Undergrad, Biomedical Sciences
- ACT Composite: 33
- ACT English: 32
- ACT Math: 33
- ACT Reading: 33
- ACT Science: 34
reading, cooking, sports, exercising, and learning
- ACT English
- ACT Math
- ACT Science
- Biology
- Elementary School Math
- English
- High School Biology
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Math
- Pre-Algebra
- Science
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
Every student is unique in their own way in terms of their learning styles and what they enjoy. I aim to teach material comprehensively and in such a way that the student has no anxiety or fear regarding their understanding of the material. I also try to keep it fun and humorous, with lots of back and forth dialogue.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Have a conversation about what types of learning styles they prefer. I 'd also ask them what types of teachers they benefitted the most and least from. I'd also ask the student about their interests and hobbies.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I would help a student become an independent learner by teaching them how to learn efficiently and effectively.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
With anecdotes regarding famous intellectuals who failed many times. The path to mastery is riddled with failure. The important thing is to keep working and staying on your path to your goal.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would talk to the student about the skill or concept and try to understand where the block in understanding is. From there, I would address the mental block or try to teach the topic in a myriad of different ways.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
By finding engaging and interesting texts that they would enjoy reading. Once they have good comprehension on things that they want to read, they can move onto things they would prefer not to read.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would make sure the student understands the material through two main avenues. First of all, I would discuss the topic or skill with the student and have them explain it to me as though they were tutoring me. It has been shown through psychology studies that teaching is the fastest way to learn. Then I would have the student do practice problems to gauge understanding more completely.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
A student's needs would be evaluated on a very deep level. These would be based on what their immediate goals are, what they would like to do in the future, and their personal, optimal learning style. Teaching the material is one part of the student's needs. The other part is an understanding how to learn effectively.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I typically use worksheets, textbooks, videos, diagrams, and lots of back and forth dialogue. The more that I can get the student talking about the material, the more I can understand their level of understanding.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Discussing what they want out of the experience and what I can give. If these two ideas align, then the tutor and student relationship can blossom.