Raghav: Petaluma tutor
Certified Tutor
I look for some of my greatest joys vicariously; I am a person who lives through others. One way that I can accomplish this is by teaching. Without fail, I teach someone, I get a euphoric thrill when I can make my student lucidly understand what I am trying to explain. This is one of the greatest feelings one can get, and I try to find it everyday. Teaching is what I live for, and I hope to do so in a manner that benefits me as well as my student.
I am a recent graduate from Emory University. I started teaching since high school, and I actively continue doing so until the present. At Emory, I teach a Health 100 class, and am a teacher assistant for various classes, including mathematics and sciences.
I believe teaching is an active process that takes equal effort from both the teacher and the student. I require constant participation, and I like to frequently ask questions throughout my sessions. Finally, the end goal is that my students should be able to teach me the material at hand; this shows complete and absolute mastery.
Outside of teaching, I am involved in various sports, primarily tennis and basketball. I enjoy playing guitar and am a huge fan of older movies.
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Undergraduate Degree: Emory University - Bachelors, Biology, General
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1550
- SAT Math: 790
- SAT Verbal: 770
- SAT Writing: 720
Tennis, Football, Basketball, Guitar, Singing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe teaching is a two-way road; both teacher and the student must meet halfway for optimal learning experience. The instructor must be willing to adapt to the student's learning style, and the student must take the initiative and show enthusiasm.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
The first session will most likely include getting familiar with each other's teaching/learning styles as well as a general overview of areas that needed to be covered. Then, scheduling of specific topics in the next few weeks.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The student can be independent if equipped with the right techniques and materials. For example, I help my students cover topics on their own if they know ways to approach a problem and what to do if they cannot solve it. In addition, I provide homework/extra practice as needed.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Learning itself should be intrinsic. The desire to acquire knowledge is within everyone; it is up to the instructor to put the student in the right channel to spark this interest.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Perspective is key in approaching new or difficult topics. If a student is having trouble with a specific concept, I try linking it to a previously mastered concept or explain it in a different way that might be more applicable to the respective student.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension is a skill. And any skill can be honed with practice. However, dumping passages after passages on the student isn't the way to go; I take each example and break it down to explain not only why the answer is correct, but why the other choices are wrong. This lets the student be more prepared for other examples as well.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
With starting, I like to take my time to get familiar with what the student likes, and how he/she responds to different teaching styles. Some students are independent, while others are more active learners.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
To begin with, I will inform them about the practical applications of the subject they are trying to learn. Often, knowing why something is important gives new motivation to learn topic material.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
To be completely thorough about mastering subject material, I often make the student teach me the concept, and I ask them questions to poke around for holes.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
My students often feel better about their knowledge about a subject when I ask them questions and they feel confident while getting them right. Also, I often start at the easiest parts and build on them for more challenging concepts.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I test a student's mastery of subject matter by giving them a comprehensive assessment about all the topics. I often go in chronological order to jog the student's memory in the order they learned them.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
In the beginning, I often experiment with the student by giving them different teaching styles and seeing how they react and how much knowledge they absorb. Based on this, I plan out the test of their sessions.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
The materials really depend on the subject being taught. Usually if the tutoring is face-to-face I prefer using books, as I found those to be the most effective.