Peter: Essex County tutor
Certified Tutor
Hi! I'm Peter. I am currently in graduate school to attain certification in Special Education: Multiple/Severe Disabilities Autism Spectrum Disorders. I also have a bachelor's degree in History and a certificate in teaching English as a foreign language. I am self-taught in Spanish and love to learn many languages. I have taken courses in Japanese, Korean, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese. I am constantly teaching myself new things, whether it be computer programming, piano, or a foreign language. I understand how I learn the best, and, as a special educator, I understand how even the most challenged student can begin to succeed.
In addition to my special education background, I also have a background in English as a second language and am self-taught in Spanish. My wife is a native speaker (and a bilingual translator), so if needed, I always have her to turn to for the tough Spanish questions. If anyone is looking to practice their Spanish with a native speaker, she would be glad to help!
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Undergraduate Degree: Georgia State University - Bachelors, History
Graduate Degree: Georgia State University - Current Grad Student, Special Education: Multiple/Severe Disabilities Autism Spectrum Disorders.
languages, computers, video games, cooking,
- Algebra
- College English
- College Geography
- College World History
- Conversational Spanish
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- Geography
- High School English
- High School Geography
- High School World History
- ISEE Prep
- ISEE- Lower Level
- ISEE- Middle Level
- Languages
- Math
- Other
- Phonics
- Pre-Algebra
- Reading
- Social Studies
- Spanish
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Spanish 3
- Special Education
- SSAT Prep
- SSAT- Elementary Level
- SSAT- Middle Level
- Summer
- Test Prep
- US History
- World History
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe everyone is capable of learning, it all depends on the learning strategy.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would ask the student what he or she is learning, what concepts they are struggling with, and ask to look at their notes and textbooks if applicable. After that, I will take my own notes and begin to create lessons and homework to help with the learning process.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The best way to become an independent learner is to figure out your own learning process. For me, I learn the best through YouTube videos, tutorials, and podcasts. I learn the worst through audiobooks.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would encourage students to keep track of their progress and find the areas of improvement before finding the areas in which they are lacking. Self-monitoring is very important for motivation.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would create graphic organizers, find videos, and help the student break down concepts into easy to learn segments.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Encourage reading comprehension sentence-by-sentence and paragraph-by-paragraph. A highlighter is a man's best friend.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Using evidence-based strategies and taking consistent data on improvement have worked the best.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would ask about the student's hobbies and interests and find a way to incorporate the subjects into their interests.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Quizzes, summaries, tests, and asking probing questions. I think it is important to understand all of the working parts of the material before one can completely understand it.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Providing opportunities for positive reinforcement. Providing self-monitoring templates to visualize progress in a subject. I would give smaller quizzes that the student can succeed in before moving on to a big test.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I would look at past quizzes and tests in their class. Ask probing questions to get to the heart of the problem. I would analyze their note taking strategies and determine if new strategies are necessary.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I help the student find their learning style and cater my lessons towards that.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Videos, graphic organizers, reading materials, etc.