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A photo of Scott, a tutor from Eastern Washington University

Scott

Certified Tutor

I am a certified teacher in the state of Washington. I graduated from Eastern Washington University with an Elementary Education Degree and a minor in math. After graduation,I moved to South Korea to teach English for a year and a half. At the moment, I am a sub in the Cheney School District where I am one of the most requested subs and am more than capable to teach every subject. My favorite subject is math. I am a regular sub at Cheney High School for Math. Algebra and Geometry are my main subjects, but I have taken classes in Trigonometry and Stats. As a teacher, I am very active and engaging. I ask the students lots of questions to check their comprehension and never leave a question unanswered.

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Scott’s Qualifications
Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: Eastern Washington University - Bachelors, Early Childhood Elementary

Hobbies

Sports, fishing, and movies

Tutoring Subjects
Algebra
College English
Elementary Math
Elementary School Math
English
High School English
ISEE Prep
ISEE- Lower Level
Math
Middle School Math
Pre-Algebra
Reading
Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that students don't truly learn the material unless it is presented in a way that is engaging and fun. Therefore, teachers need to put in extra effort to help students understand that material by not being a cookie cutter teacher.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

In the first session, I would start just by introducing myself - telling the students about where I am from, what I have done and how I teach. Then, I would ask the students some questions about themselves. Then, it would be time to get into the tutoring lesson. I would be able to use the student's interests to help with certain parts of the lesson.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Well that is always a goal. If a student can learn to do their work by themselves then they have truly succeeded. If the student really has trouble working without constant reminding, I would start by giving them goals to work towards. If you give them just a few problems to complete without interruption, then they will receive a reward. Then, you can keep upping the amount of required problems. The other side is if the student becomes too distracted and does something else they don't receive a reward. If they can eventually come in and do all of their work without being asked they would not need tutoring anymore.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Motivation can be increased in many different ways. If students are competitive, then I could try more of a who can do the most technique, or maybe tell them that they should try and beat what they did last time. If other students are just easily distracted that just means that they aren't interested in the material. So the material needs to be changed or presented in a way that will keep their attention. Lastly, there is always just checking on the student's work and hounding them when necessary.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

The student has trouble learning the skill for one or two reasons. First, the material was not presented in a way that the student understands. So it needs to be explained a different way. The second reason is that the student learns differently. So, maybe a hands-on approach would be the proper way to go. If the material is math, then bring in blocks or something visual for the student to manipulate.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

Reading comprehension doesn't just happen overnight. It requires repetition and explanation. If the student doesn't understand what they just read, then it needs to be explained to them. Visual explanations work best, but a verbal one could help if it is said correctly. Another problem could just be that they are reading too difficult of a book.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

My strategies when working with students are very simple. I keep everything at a high level of energy. I move around talking to students and answering questions individually as often as I can. If there is a recurring question then it's a whole group discussion where I ask the students input on what we are working on and what would happen next for that particular question.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

I start with showing that I am excited and interested in the topic. I usually have input ranging from lots to some on almost every topic. Then, I start throwing out random facts that are interesting for the students. Lastly, I try to bend the topic around into something that they will find interesting.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

I ask a lot of follow-up questions. I start by asking if they have any questions, then follow it up with why don't you walk me through the process. We will do that as many times as I think are needed so that the student can do the problems on their own.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

By showing them that they can do it. That even if it is a difficult topic or subject, everything can be broken down to very basic forms. Then, I teach the student how to start, piece by piece.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I judge the students by their body language, attitude, and how much they can complete on their own.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

All students learn differently; therefore, my teaching style needs to change with them. Student teaching taught me to be gentle with the students who were having trouble learning. In Korea, I learned that there is a time to be strict and that is when students are just about to become unruly. Some students learn best by talking and a lengthy explanation, while others do better with hands-on experience.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

I'm a big fan of a whiteboard or something that I can write on that is big enough for many people to see. Depending on the topic, counting blocks would also be great. However, a pencil and paper are usually enough to explain what needs to be done.