Michelle: Santa Barbara tutor
Certified Tutor
I am a certified New York City high school teacher currently teaching Spanish at a top NYC high school that is well-known for its academic rigor and highly competitive gifted programs. I have taught students at all academic levels including those with learning disabilities and differences, and those who advance to top universities. As part of my career as an educator, I regularly tutor students both from my classes and the larger school community. I have greatly enjoyed the experience of working with students one on one, and I am excited by the opportunity to expand on these experiences by tutoring students beyond my school. I am qualified to tutor in both Spanish and English having graduated summa cum laude from the University at Albany with a dual major in Spanish and English Honors. In addition, I have a master’s degree in liberal studies from Stony Brook University which further qualifies me as an educator in the humanities. I believe education is best when it is individualized and enjoy differentiating instruction to meet the needs of my students and helping students find their own intrinsic motivation and passion for learning. In my free time, I enjoy reading, swimming, and running in the park with my dog.
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Undergraduate Degree: University at Albany - Bachelor in Arts, English, Spanish
Graduate Degree: University at Stonybrook - Master of Science, Liberal Studies
Running, swimming, and reading.
- College English
- College Essays
- Comparative Literature
- Conversational Spanish
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- Languages
- Literature
- Public Speaking
- Spanish
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Spanish 3
- Spanish 4
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe in differentiating instruction to the needs of the learner and drawing on the students' interests, strengths, and skills to unlock their intrinsic desire for learning and mastery.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would look over the student's course of study, tests, and homework and open a discussion about strengths and weaknesses. I would elicit goals from the student. I would also provide some assessment questions to allow me to further assess strengths and weaknesses.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students are empowered to become independent learners when instructors tailor material and assignments to the students' strengths and interests, provide the student with skills and tools to break down challenging tasks into simpler ones and avoid frustration, and provide encouragement and reinforcement that focuses on effort.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Decreased motivation is often caused by frustration with difficult material. I would help the student break down the required tasks into smaller and simpler ones so that they can feel a sense of mastery and ownership over the material.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would first listen to the student and ask questions to learn what precisely is creating the obstacles, find other ways to explain the concept, and break down the concept and skills into more accessible sub-skills that we can practice. Then, I'd go back to the larger skill or concept.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I help them see what they can understand, look for context clues, and see how the words they do not understand are related to other words that they do know (or are cognates to English if reading in Spanish). Most importantly, I am patient and encouraging.