Penny
Certified Tutor
I have 27 years of experience as a certified math teacher in the state of Oklahoma. I have taught 7th grade Math up to AP Calculus in my 27 years of teaching. In the last 9 years, I have taught 8th grade Math, Algebra 1, and Algebra II. I have most recently taught 8th grade Algebra 1 to accelerated 8th grade students. I have also taught Algebra 1 Part 1 to classes that were taking Algebra in two years at a slower pace.
I am the Math Department Head at my current school. I am responsible for leadership of the six math teachers in our department which includes curriculum mapping, curriculum pacing, testing, etc. in our building. I have been successful in teaching my students with a very high passing rates on state testing for the last 9 years. I consider myself self driven, analytically, and a good math teacher. I have mentored student teachers in my classroom and also first year teachers at my school. I have recently tutored college students for their GRE test, they were very successful in getting their Math score up after our tutoring sessions.
I believe that every child can learn. It is the teacher's responsibility to find what makes each student learn and motivate them to be successful. I have a proven track record of successful students for the last 27 years. I tutor students everyday in a classroom setting and on an individual basis. I enjoy working with students and helping them reach their full potential.
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Undergraduate Degree: Oklahoma State University-Main Campus - Bachelors, Math Education
Watching Sports, walking, cooking, son's football games, family
- ACT Math
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- College Algebra
- Geometry
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE Quantitative
- GRE Subject Test in Mathematics
- GRE Subject Tests
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Pre-Algebra
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that all students can learn. It is the teacher's responsibility to find the way that each student learns through different techniques and styles. As an educator, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the success of your students. I enjoy teaching and seeing my students reaching their full potential.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Depending on the reason for the session, I would question the student about their prior history in the subject, why the student is requesting the session, and what is their goal after the session.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Facilitate the tutoring session, making sure the student is doing the work, not just the tutor showing the student how to do the work. Questioning techniques are very important to guide the student through the sessions.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Guide the process with good question techniques and celebrate success. Every student has good qualities; find the good first, and work on the bad to make it better.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Go back a step and find out why the skill or concept is hard. Go backwards to work on the skill until it is mastered; then go forward.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Practice reading skills through various methods.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Try to find a good connection with the student so you can have a good relationship through all your sessions.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Find success; then the motivation is there.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Practice, practice, and more practice; review questions and celebrate success.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Build confidence and celebrate success. Make sure they know reasons for why they are going through the process-- to see the goal.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Through questioning techniques.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Problem evaluations, past teachers’ comments, and questioning techniques.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Old testing materials, printed materials on subject content, or looking questions up on the goal content.