Sheri
Certified Tutor
Hello, my name is Sheri. I taught for four years at Evergreen High School, a low-income school in east Vancouver. As a student teacher and a full time teacher, I primarily worked with students who struggled in math. I enjoy working with those students, even though at times it can be difficult. After teaching math full time for a few years, I will be working on going back to school to pursue a career in applied mathematics. That means I will have homework too!
Outside of work, I spend most of my time rock climbing, training for marathons, and practicing aerial silk and trapeze.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Oregon - Bachelors, Math
Graduate Degree: Lewis & Clark College - Masters, Masters of Teaching
Running, rock climbing, circus arts and travel.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Mistakes help us learn any topic. In teaching math, I like to help students understand what mistake they made in their process and why it is, in fact, a mistake.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I will ask the student to bring assignments and notes from class so that I may get an idea of what the teacher assigns and what methods they are teaching. I also like to ask the student questions to figure out what type of help they would most benefit from.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I model skills which are essential to becoming an independent learner. For example, I show students that I look through their notes to find answers and tools. I look through old assignments to find similar problems. If neither of those work, I will show students where to find the information they need and how to look for it.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would celebrate big and small student successes, and I would share some of my own stories of perseverance.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I try to find the root of the difficulty. If a student struggled with solving equations, I would try to find what exactly is making it difficult. Is the problem that the student doesn't understand fractions or the order of operations? If I can fix that, then maybe solving it will make sense.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I often ask students to articulate why an answer is correct or incorrect to learn if they truly understand. I also can make up new problems to work on so that I know they can do it more than once.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use notes that students have taken, student homework or tests, my own material that may be helpful, and the Internet.