Sophia
Certified Tutor
Working with students to improve their learning experience is an absolute priority for me. In remembering my own experience throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I can recognize gaps in my understanding of certain subjects and where my strengths lie. I believe that from this experience I can fill in the gaps for younger students, building partially from my own academic experience and partially from my knowledge in specific areas, and then tailoring that experience to the needs of the student. I think it is difficult, nearing impossible to learn in an uncomfortable or unwelcoming environment. I would like to help students feel comfortable, heard, able to ask questions and free to make mistakes in the process. I want to reinforce the message that not naturally knowing or understanding something is not a deficiency! It is simply an area in which one can make greater improvements, especially with the help of a friendly and encouraging guide. I want to lead students towards academic independence through connecting what they are assigned to learn with what they know well already or what they are skilled at, so that they don't feel as if they are approaching their task with no preparation. I would also like to aid in the development of strategies that are applicable to general assignments instead of focusing on learning a subject simply to get a certain grade on a test. I will share my own strategies of time management, relaxation, memorization, and preparation if needed and use those to help build new sets of strategies specific to each student's wants and needs. Learning should be as much of a positive experience as possible, and I'd like to help students along in their journey.
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Undergraduate Degree: St Johns College - Current Undergrad, History of Mathematics and Science & Philosophy
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1500
- SAT Verbal: 800
- SAT Writing: 750
Dance, theater, literature, travel, restaurants
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- Adult Literacy
- American Literature
- AP United States History
- AP US History
- Classics
- College Application Essays
- College English
- College Level American History
- College Level American Literature
- Comparative Literature
- Creative Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Fiction
- Fiction Writing
- Greek
- High School English
- High School Level American History
- High School Level American Literature
- High School Writing
- History
- Homework Support
- Languages
- Literature
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Reading Comprehension
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- Persuasive Writing
- Philosophy
- Poetry
- Poetry
- Poetry Writing
- PSAT Critical Reading
- PSAT Writing Skills
- Public Speaking
- Reading
- SAT Reading
- SAT Verbal
- SAT Writing and Language
- Shakespeare
- Social Networking
- Social Sciences
- Social Studies
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Technology and Coding
- Test Prep
- Vocabulary
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I want students to feel comfortable and supported in the learning environment, and to be able to connect what they need to study with what they enjoy so that it feels like a positive experience. Personalized, positive, and effective.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Discuss what they need to learn, what they have already learned, and the gaps they see in their own knowledge. Figure out a list of goals to achieve, and get started on achieving them in the ways in which the student feels most able to thrive.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Figure out not only how to work on a specific problem or subject, but how to work and learn in general. Getting together a checklist of how to work through ANY problem or on ANY assignment or test, so that they don't need outside guidance except for to help motivate or teach specific details.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Help them find their own healthy incentives for working, like allowing themselves to read something for pleasure after they finish reading something for an assignment, or finishing their homework before they allow themselves to spend time with friends.