Sarah: Sugar Land tutor
Certified Tutor
Hello, my name is Sarah. I have over 12 years of experience in teaching students K-12. I love teaching, making learning fun, and being a positive influence on children. I love guiding students down a path where they can explore new things and challenge themselves. My main priority is to awaken a passion for learning within the students I work with. I wish to build their confidence in their capabilities of tackling any problem, both big and small, with excitement, and to incite a eagerness to take on the next challenge.
Outside of tutoring, I homeschool my children. Currently, I have an 11 year old doing dual credit college courses at Lonestar College. Also, I have a 7 year old doing 4th grade level material. I also have a 6 year old learning to read more fluently and he is doing 1st grade math. Lastly, I have a 5 year old learning letters and sounds to transition into reading, and she is learning to write numbers.
In addition to this, I took on 7 more students. Of the 7, I prepared two of them to enter into Lonestar college (12 year old and 14 year old), I am preparing another set for Lonestar (12 and 14 year old), two 8th graders (one is diagnosed with ADHD, and I have creative teaching styles), and an additional 3rd grader.
I also enjoy being active. I engage in jiu jitsu, running and weightlifting. I take my kids to the park almost 3 times per week, and I try to find many opportunities to go out and camp or hike with them. I love reading and learning in general, so you will often find me researching new topics or going deeper into familiar topics.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Houston - Bachelors, Psychology
I love being outdoors. I spend a lot of time at the park with my kids, exploring new places in and out of town, and doing mud runs.
- ACT Math
- ACT Science
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- College Algebra
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- English
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Reading Comprehension
- Phonics
- Pre-Algebra
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe learning should be fun and interactive. I will always tailor my teaching style to match the student's best way of learning. Every person learns in their own unique way. It is important to understand one's style of learning in order to continue to have success in all future learning, inside and outside of school.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I will first gauge the student's level of comprehension of the specific subject, and then I will determine the student's difficult areas of the subject, and finally assess the student's style of learning.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I will slowly transition the lesson from me doing all the guiding to the student guiding me through each problem. This way the student can practice asking himself/herself effective questions to solve the problem, and they will have me there as a safety net to offer more guidance if he/she gets stumped. I do not want the student to become solely dependent on me, because my goal is to help him/her to be a more efficient learner.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Keep the work we do relevant, fun, and interesting. I want to help them find a reason to want to learn, and to want to do the work.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I will break down the problem into smaller, bite-size chunks that are easier to understand, and then I will slowly show them how to piece all the information together as a whole.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I will guide the student to focus on the main idea in each sentence first, so that he/she can practice understanding the small concepts first. Then I will challenge them to find the main idea from a couple sentences all the way out to understanding paragraphs.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Establish a strong reason as to why they think it is important for them to learn and master the said subject.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I will help him/her to view it in a new way. Most of the time, the student has a preconceived idea of what the subject will make them feel, but anyone can change their point of view of things to make it more enjoyable. Therefore, finding a way to see the challenge in a more positive way is key.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I will have the student explain the material back to me in their own words.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I will emphasize that it is ok to struggle. In fact, it is great to struggle, because that means you found an area that you could become better in. If you are getting better at anything, then you are essentially becoming better. If you never struggle, then you can never grow.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I will ask questions that will expose the student's strengths and weaknesses of the subject. I will also ask questions that will help me assess the best way for them to learn.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
If the material is too easy, then I will provide material that is more challenging. If it is too challenging, then I will tone it down to where the challenge is more conceivable to the student.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I will use whatever it takes to enhance the student's learning, i.e.: flashcards, physical objects, pictures, etc.