Rebecca
Certified Tutor
I am passionate about education and about helping my students achieve their goals. Standardized tests can be daunting - particularly at the graduate level - and nothing is more gratifying than assisting someone in surpassing that milestone and watching them succeed in their future endeavors.
Apart from the nuts and bolts of testing, I believe that critical thinking is important both academically and in our personal lives; the ability to reason through a problem and understand the flow of an argument will help any student inside or outside the classroom. As a teacher, I aim to build confidence in my students and decrease anxiety about any difficulties that may arise with the subject matter. There are no bad questions (questions give me insight into how someone is viewing the concept and help me adjust my explanation so that the idea is clear), and I strive to make sure my students understand the "why" behind a solution so they can apply those principles in the future. I'm experienced in teaching the entire LSAT including the writing section, and am happy to assist on application essays as well.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus - Bachelors, Philosophy
Graduate Degree: Illinois Institute of Technology - Masters, Applied Mathematics
- LSAT: 169
- GRE Verbal: 170
Science fiction, piano, museums, politics, puzzles, board games, concerts, Broadway musicals
What is your teaching philosophy?
There are no bad questions! Asking a question is the best way for me to see how you are thinking about a problem, and helps me understand how to best explain the solution.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a first session I like to give my students practice problems to gauge what problem areas may exist; I also want to give my students an opportunity to voice any concerns they have about the material.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The best way to learn independently is to find something that interests you personally about the subject matter; in addition, setting a study schedule and making sure you are accountable to your schedule is extremely important.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
The first rule of learning is: don't get caught up in negative thinking. Just because you don't know how to do something now doesn't mean you can't learn it. Breaking a problem down into smaller problems that are easier to digest is a great way to build confidence and make progress in your learning.