Michelle: Bristol tutor
Certified Tutor
I am a PhD graduate from CU-Boulder in electrical engineering. I am a full-time engineer but always found teaching to be my calling and so, here I am.
I've been tutoring pre-calculus, Calculus I, college algebra and high school level math since my undergraduate years at Wichita State University. I've been a pre-calculus and Calculus I tutor at CU-Boulder for the past 2-3 years. I've also been a graduate teaching assistant at the electrical engineering department in CU-Boulder.
I'm patient and for me, one of the best feelings as a teacher is when knowledge dawns on a student's face. I feel everyone's learning style is different and I'm flexible in helping the student. Please be open with the way you would like to learn and I'll try my best to accommodate you.
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Undergraduate Degree: Wichita State University - Bachelors, Aerospace Engineering
Graduate Degree: University of Colorado Boulder - PHD, Electrical Engineering
- GRE Quantitative: 156
- GRE Verbal: 158
Reading, fencing
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- Calculus
- Calculus 2
- College Algebra
- Electrical Engineering
- Geometry
- Homework Support
- Math
- Other
- Pre-Calculus
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Trigonometry
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is to keep it simple and clean. I am patient. I understand that everyone starts from a different position, and I take it into full consideration during each session.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Typically, I'd try to assess their current knowledge and if there are any gaps. However, when time is limited, I also ask the student which areas they need the most help in.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The most important thing is to foster the curiosity within them and the need to learn. Show them the different varieties of seeking information, be it on Google or YouTube.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
This is a hard question, but I'd ask the student themselves what gives them motivation. It can be as simple as getting an A or passing a class, but it's different for each student and I'd try to help them along their own way.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Try and break it down step-by-step. Make sure they follow along, and if they're lost at any point, I'd discuss more or try to explain a little further.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Start slow and easy, explain things clearly, and never get impatient if things are not going your way.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Make sure they repeat back the solution to me, and explain to me how we arrived at the answer. If they can show that, then they've understood how to solve a particular problem.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Start slow with easier questions, and once they've mastered that, they have built enough confidence to go to the next level. Then it starts over.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By asking them what their needs are, and also by looking at their current skill level.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Usually just pencil and paper. Sometimes, online resources to show plots.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Try making them read aloud and look for gaps. Write out the important facts in a passage and outline the general idea or question given.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Usually, a student is not excited because the topic is either boring or they're overwhelmed. You can get them engaged by either increasing the complexity of the questions or by lowering them accordingly.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Always ask them what they think about a particular problem and adapt it to their way of understanding a question.