Susana: Irving tutor
Certified Tutor
I am a native Peruvian, and Spanish is my first language. I've been living in the US for over fifteen years. I am a communicator, a mom (a Super Mom, actually!), an Uber driver, and a TV and radio personality, and I am here to help you with your Spanish needs!
I love to teach, and am very good at it. I have experience working with a wide range of students, from four years olds to pregnant couples who are looking to develop better relationships and communication skills. I am the mother of two adorable kids, aged eleven and thirteen, so I am capable of interaction and great communication with teenagers as well. I look forward to working with you!
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Undergraduate Degree: Universidad de Lima - Bachelors, Science of Communications
Graduate Degree: Universtity of Oklahoma - Masters, Human Relations
Yoga, bicycling, road trips, travel, and blogging. I also run groups of single mothers looking to improve and empower themselves.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that to be most effective as an instructor, one must create a safe environment that is interactive and collaborative. I am excellent on one on one teaching/practice and I like to encourage and orient my students to achieve their own objectives with my help. My idea of a good teacher is to show every student how to develop their own rational thinking and become an independent and avid learner on his/her own.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know my student, find out his/her strengths and figure out what are the next steps to fulfill his/her goals.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Tutoring is a caring, helping relationship based on empathy. You can communicate empathy to a student by listening, focusing on the student’s emotions and reasons for them and then helping to develop a plan to overcome the academic obstacles.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I treat each student as a capable being. I feel that they respect the subject and themselves more if they feel motivated and slightly challenged by their instructors. For me, some of the best teachers I've had were the ones that sparked my will to learn more.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would go one step back to basics. Sometimes on the rush of lessons, students are left behind without the proper tools to continue their achievements. I would make sure they have all they need to proceed with their learning process.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
One big part of comprehension is having a sufficient vocabulary, or knowing the meanings of enough words. Readers who have strong comprehension are able to draw conclusions about what they read – what is important, what is a fact, what caused an event to happen, which characters are funny. Therefore I would go back and explain all key words and help them get their own conclusions.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I share personal stories about how hard was for me when learning a new language and how to this day I keep learning. I develop a connection that gives us common ground.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would encourage experiencing in their learning process. Watch videos, visit places, get familiar with the specific subject; this helps develop natural curiosity and sparks the learning process.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would use repetition and similar examples. I would look up similar tests than the ones their teachers use to practice the material.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I would make sure he/she understands that nobody is perfect. And that all masters started as beginners. It is important to let them know that only their hard work will make them become better at it and develop natural confidence.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I would go by their test results and the objectives their teachers have for them.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I have experience with all ages at all levels. I adapt lessons and practices accordingly.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Videos, pictures, their schoolwork and or any other tangible material we could use for learning purposes.