Sean
Certified Tutor
Hi guys, my name is Sean and I'm a junior at the University of Florida studying Microbiology and Cell Science with a minor in Business Administration. I found out I was a good fit to be a tutor by tutoring my friends and getting positive feedback. On my spare time, I write music, work out, and play video games with my roommates. I love to cook and I'm really into nutrition so you can always spark a conversation with me by talking about food. I'm skilled in many subjects, but math is my favorite to work with.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Florida - Current Undergrad, Microbiology and Cell Science
- ACT Composite: 33
- ACT English: 34
- ACT Math: 35
- ACT Reading: 31
- ACT Science: 32
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1480
- SAT Math: 730
- SAT Writing: 740
poetry and music
- ACT English
- ACT Math
- ACT Writing
- Advanced Placement Prep
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- AP Physics 2
- Biology
- College Algebra
- College Biology
- College English
- College Essays
- College Physics
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Geometry
- Gifted
- High School Biology
- High School English
- High School Physics
- Homework Support
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Other
- Physics
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- PSAT Writing Skills
- SAT Math
- SAT Mathematics
- SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1
- SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2
- SAT Subject Test in Physics
- SAT Subject Tests Prep
- Science
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Test Prep
- Trigonometry
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Through patience and listening, cooperation is easy.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
It's important to get to know the student before beginning work together for the first time so that he/she feels comfortable with the tutor. Making small talk and asking surface level questions about the student's life are great ways to do just that. After several minutes of discussion, I would begin the first session and begin with the student on their work.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Oftentimes, students lose motivation during arduous studying. I help students in these situations by giving them something that they can relate to. If they "just don't get it" after trying a problem over and over, I would let them know that I, too, find myself in that position often, and to know that practice makes perfect.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Analogies have been quintessential in helping students succeed in understanding a fundamental concept.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Relating the subject to a student's personal life or modifying a question to be funny usually helps. For example if a student has a physics question on how long it would take for a moving car to catch up to slower moving donkey, the student might be bored. But, if you now change the car to a running back and the donkey to a wide receiver, the student might be able to relate more if he/she likes football, for example, and thus become more engaged.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Fabricating questions that test the fundamental basics of what the student just learned almost always helps to ascertain whether or not they comprehend the material. A student might understand how to do a question that I just reviewed with them, but what if I change some parts of the question in such a way that the student must alter his/her thinking? This would surely assist in assessing the student's comprehension of the material.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
In my experience, students usually understand the reading material itself. The most common problem students face is that once they have narrowed their answer down to two choices, they get confused because the choices are seemingly identical. I help these students by breaking down the answer choices part by part so that they fully understand how the choices answer the question at hand.