Sid
Certified Tutor
I have just begun my 3rd year of study at the UMKC School of Medicine. I love tutoring high school students, and have been doing formal tutoring since 2013. Much of my teaching philosophy centers around one word: "why". Pushing students to understand why and how something works on their own significantly improves long term recall, instead of simply feeding them formulae and rules for them to regurgitate on an examination.
As a 23 year old, I am not very far removed from either the ACT or the SAT, and feel as though this will help me better empathize with specific concepts and areas students are struggling with. I graduated high school with enough credits to obtain a minor in mathematics from the University of Minnesota. Finally, I have significant experience tutoring middle school math as I have been doing so for the past several years through programs at my high school as well as independent tutoring.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Pennsylvania - Bachelor of Science, Mathematics
- ACT Composite: 35
- ACT English: 36
- ACT Math: 36
- ACT Reading: 36
- ACT Science: 36
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1580
- SAT Math: 800
- SAT Verbal: 780
- SAT Writing: 760
Soccer, tennis, basketball, football, Minnesota sports, math
- 6th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Math
- 9th Grade Math
- ACT Prep
- ACT English
- ACT Math
- ACT Reading
- ACT Science
- Algebra
- Algebra 3/4
- Arithmetic
- Elementary School Math
- Homework Support
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Music
- Other
- Piano
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- PSAT Prep
- PSAT Critical Reading
- PSAT Mathematics
- PSAT Writing Skills
- SAT Prep
- SAT Math
- SAT Mathematics
- SAT Reading
- SAT Verbal
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
I center most of my teaching around one word: "why". Pushing students to work through questions by themselves will help them to understand how and why something works which improves long-term recall, instead of simply feeding them with formulas or rules to regurgitate.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Initially, I provide students with an index of diagnostic questions in order to best isolate strengths and weaknesses. From there I design drills for each subsection of question they may see on an exam and assign problems.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I always have a student tell me why and how they worked through a problem before I try to explain how to more effectively go about it. The student talking through these problems out loud allows them to see where their mistake is on their own, which is more conducive to independent learning in the future.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Goal setting!
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Take a step back, and figure out what it is that is causing them anxiety. Slowing down the pace is crucial to decreasing stress and methodically going about breaking down the barrier to the skill or concept.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Repetition!
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Go back to the goal they set, and discuss how satisfying it will be when they achieve it.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Going back and looking at summary questions, and have them talk me through them with no outside help.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Practice, practice, practice.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Assess the areas in which they are struggling from the diagnostic "examinations" I give them at the first session.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Set a unique lesson plan before each lesson based on specific sub-areas in which they are struggling.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Laptop, calculator, practice question book.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Practice reading in timed settings.