Mark: Palos Heights tutor
Certified Tutor
I'm currently finishing the final year of my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. I'm also excited about continuing my education by pursuing an additional degree in physics next year. During the past two years, I've been fortunate to study in sunny Colorado while contributing at an internship in a high tech company in the plasma industry. Participating at this company has included accounting, tax preparation, CAD drawing, web design, and various other projects. Along the way, I've also shared my love of math and science by tutoring students in a range of subjects from algebra to accounting to physics. Throughout high school I also volunteered with different groups to tutor. In one case, we helped students with a primary language other than English. I've come to realize that I love explaining a topic in a myriad of ways until it makes sense to a student. Using tangible objects and color coded drawings is another way I like to relate abstract concepts to a student. My favorite part is seeing it "click" for the student.
Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." This sentiment couldn't be more important to my teaching philosophy. Typically the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional teaching can miss those students that see the world in a different way. By going one-on-one and understanding the unique approach of an individual, the material can be revealed in a way that makes intuitive sense. Helping a student to truly understand the material and connect it to what they already know about the world, instead of dumping a list of seemingly endless facts on them is crucial to helping a student reach the point where they don't just understand, they're having fun. More than just learning a subject, I want the student to love learning. Beyond academics, I'm always trying to catch the latest movie and try unique food with my wonderful wife. I also enjoy reading books about physics, cooking new creations, running, and working on graphic design projects. I'm excited to hear from you and begin helping you tackle your academic goals!
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Undergraduate Degree: Penn Foster College - Bachelors, Business Management
learning, cooking, graphic design, running, reading, studying scriptures, photography, playing old-school video games, eating, good music, science!
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- College Algebra
- Geometry
- Homework Support
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Other
- Pre-Algebra
- Statistics
- Study Skills and Organization
- Trigonometry
What is your teaching philosophy?
Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." My teaching philosophy extends this sentiment by recognizing that typically the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional teaching can miss those students that see the world in a different way. By going one-on-one and understanding the unique approach of an individual, it's easy to see how the material can be explained in a way that makes intuitive sense to them. In this way, it becomes about helping the student to truly understand the material and connect it to what they already know about the world, instead of dumping a list of disconnected facts on them.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In the first session with a new student, my first objective is to understand what the student knows or understands about the particular subject. This can be thought of as letting the student do the teaching at first. This is helpful to see their unique perspective on the topic and also to understand the exact place where there may be confusion. After this, it's time to connect the new information to what they already know.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Helping a student become an independent learner is about letting them ask questions, make connections, and never being afraid to try something in a new way. By giving a student the room to explore, they can see things in the way that makes sense to them and gain an excitement and curiosity that will propel them in their studies even when a tutor isn't there.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Staying motivated can be a difficult thing. To help a student in this area, it depends on why there's a lack of inspiration. I've found that the majority of the time a student says that the topic is boring. However, after understanding a new topic, there is usually a true excitement and motivation to learn more. So I think the main reason most students lose the drive and focus is because it's a chore to memorize a bunch of information without truly understanding it. In order to remedy this, I prefer to show my students how seemingly different concepts relate, and especially how abstract math ideas show up in the real world.