Sophia: Prospect Park tutor
Certified Tutor
I attended film school in Philadelphia graduating with a BFA in Film Production and a Minor in Creative Writing. I am a working professional in NYC's media sector. My focus is primarily in the cinematic arts and copy writing. My tutoring background is in essay/academic writing for ESL and native English speakers between the ages of 18 and 22.
I also worked in community development teaching children at risk how to read using phonics, art, storytelling, and music to give them a context for the linguistical skills they were developing. As part of my work in community development, I had to give presentations in informal and formal settings to report on the efficacy of the work.
My tutoring style is very collaborative. I'm interested in understanding how the student prefers to learn while also introducing new methods. My tutoring motto is "learning and progress are team efforts."
Cheers! I look forward to our progress together.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of the Arts - Bachelor of Fine Arts, Film/Digital VIdeo
Screenwriting, Essay writing, Filmmaking, Film Editing, Culinary Arts, Foreign Languages, History, Theatre, Softball, Football.
- College English
- English
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- Public Speaking
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe the best and most productive form of teaching manifests when both student and tutor work as a team to understand core concepts and reoccurring problems.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would ask them to bring their last three assignments so that I could review their style, in addition to bringing a current assignment so that we could create an action plan. I spend most of the time asking questions.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Once a student understands their preferred style of learning, they allow that routine to anchor them in times of procrastination. One of my functions is to help the student define their learning style for themselves.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I believe that everyone can be focused if they have a clear goal and action plan. Helping a student narrow down that which makes her anxious, and focus on plan that makes sense, has been a successful tactic of mine in helping my students stay motivated.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
In the past, my students have told me it is helpful for them when we do practice rounds of skills/reading comprehension of topics. With repetition, they learn through mistakes and gain confidence as their grasp of the topic/skill strengthens.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
In the past, I have had students break down paragraphs and summarize them into one or two sentences. Paraphrasing has helped reveal weaknesses and strengths in comprehension, and we move forward from there.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I think it is extremely important to let the student express, in their own words, their frustrations and goals. Once we write those down, we refer back to them as we work together. It helps ground the meetings and gives a student a sense of their progress.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I ask the student what their favorite way to learn is- activity? movies? reading? etc. I introduce the topic in their favorite medium.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Paraphrasing has always revealed gaps and strengths in understanding topics. It's a common practice in my sessions.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I often revisit goals that we set in the first 2 or 3 sessions. Monitoring growth always leads to confidence.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I ask the student to define their needs, in addition to looking at feedback from their professors.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
My students have all been very different. Adapting comes from conversations with regards to preferences. I also pay attention to how much time it takes the student to complete a task. If I feel things are moving too quickly or slowly, I adjust the level of difficulty.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I bring a list of goals that I have set with the student, highlighters, and reference videos for topics.