Jena: Meriden tutor
Certified Tutor
I love learning. This became apparent when my mother sadly let go of my hand on my first school bus ride several days into 1st grade classes. As the bus pulled up to Cleveland Road in Cleveland, Ohio I yanked my hand away from my mother and bolted towards the bus yelling "okay, bye!" I had no idea she was crying until she told me years later. I wasn't even afraid of the new experience of riding the school bus. I was so excited by school and learning that my sole focus was on that shiny yellow school bus getting me to another day in elementary school. I was ready.
My love for learning turned into a love for sharing what I know. Observing my favorite teachers, instructors and mentors, I could sense that they were not only teaching me, but were open to learning themselves. I carry their lessons with me today. These teachers were great not only because they were teaching what they loved or because they paid attention to me. They were great because they taught me not for school, but for life.
I tutor because my experiences have shown me that I too have the ability to help students gain long-lasting academic achievement and the tools that will help them on their path long after I'm around. I want to help them sharpen the tools in their arsenal for a life of confidence. I want to take my "love to learn" and show the students that I tutor the beauty of learning for life.
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Undergraduate Degree: Northwestern University - Bachelors, Communications- Radio/Television/Film
Graduate Degree: Northwestern University - Medill School of Journalism - Masters, Reporting
Writing, Photography, Health, Music, Running, Pilates
- College English
- College Essays
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- Gifted
- High School English
- Homework Support
- Journalism
- Other
- Public Speaking
- Reading
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Patience and big picture application help students to transfer what they learn in one lesson to what they'll actually use in life.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
We'll get to know each other and figure out how I can help you achieve your goals. You'll share issues that have stumped you so far and then we'll map out a plan to get you past your obstacles.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I'll give real-world applications when applicable for anything we work on in our sessions.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
We'll do this in a couple of ways: 1. We'll take a look at the goals you set at the beginning. We'll ask, "How will what we're doing now help you get there?" or "Why is this important in achieving 'said' goal?" 2. Sometimes it's helpful to look at success stories of others who strive past their obstacles to achieve. We can do that together with the goal of internal motivation taking over.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
We will need to try different approaches. Each student is unique, and tutoring is designed to cater to individual learning styles.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I find that transferring the material to another style, like music, or simply slowing down and breaking down the big picture of each section is very helpful for students.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Repetition really is the father of learning. We will work on tough areas until we get them right. Students will be impressed with their own improvement when we take a look back.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
We discuss them and do some practice rounds to have some fun and see what needs to be tackled first.