Melinda: Bethesda tutor
Certified Tutor
I have a passion for mathematics and science. I have 2-3 years of tutoring experience and have had great success with my students ranging from middle school to college-level.
I began tutoring by helping other students in my high school calculus classes. In college, I worked as a math and science tutor with a company called Group Excellence. Subjects ranged from remedial algebra, geometry, to calculus, and biology. I worked one-on-one with Middle school and High school students preparing students for exams, helping with homework, and lots of SAT, ACT, and math test preparation.
In graduate school, I instructed undergraduate courses in Environmental Biology in a classroom setting, teaching students about introductory earth science.
I prefer one-on-one tutoring and enjoy engaging my students with fun and challenging math problems. I like to apply math to real world situations to allow my students to fully understand the relevance and necessity of knowing and using math in their everyday lives.
Please contact me about any questions you may have! I look forward to working with you to reaching your GPA and test score goals!
I began my college career as a math major and have taken several math courses passing with A's. Math is a subject I have always been passionate about, but did not want to pursue as a career. I have extensive experience across various levels of math from basic algebra to college level matrix theories. Some of the courses I took in college include: Calculus II, Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory. I tested out of Algebra and Pre-Calculus with my Math SAT scores, and took Calculus I in high school and received college credit through the AP test.
I have also had extensive experience with various levels of biology as a biology major and have passed with A's. Some of the courses I took as an undergraduate include: introductory biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and botany.
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Undergraduate Degree: The University of Texas at Austin - Bachelors, Marine and Freshwater Biology
Graduate Degree: The Texas A&M University Corpus Christi - Masters, Environmental Science
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- AP Environmental Science
- College Algebra
- College English
- College Essays
- English
- Environmental Science
- High School English
- Math
- Pre-Algebra
- Science
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe all students can learn at any age with the right instructor who provides the student with great motivation.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I will introduce myself to the student, and then ask the student to tell me a little about themselves and what they do outside of schoolwork. After a few minutes we can then dive into subjects the student may be having trouble with, and continue by showing examples of some of the problems and possible solutions.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can guide the student at first and then allow the student to think about how to solve the other problems on his/her own without my help.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I will discuss the student’s long-term goals, but also set some short-term goals as well to show the student that there is improvement.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I approach teaching the concept or skill in various ways if possible. If not, I try to simplify the concept and discuss the theory behind the concept to help them understand.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I assess what within reading comprehension they are having trouble with them most and try to give more examples similar to them. I also give samples with various levels of difficulty.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I begin with an assessment giving problems with various levels of difficulty. Also simply asking the student what he/she struggles with helps as well.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Providing small awards can sometimes be beneficial to help get students excited.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would not only give the student a sample question similar to the one they may be struggling with immediately, but also a week later, and maybe even a month later to see if he/she really understood the concept. If not we would revisit the material until they understand.