Thomas: Lower East Side tutor
Certified Tutor
I'm local to Southgate, Michigan. I grew up in Lincoln Park went to the elementary, middle, and high school there. After that I attended what was Henry Ford Community College which is now just Henry Ford College. Now I am currently a University of Michigan-Dearborn student finishing my degree in education. Now many of you are like, so why do I care about any of this, well heres the thing Im not going to lie to you, students currently arent ready for college, I wasnt ready for it either. College hit me like a truck when I wasnt looking, not cool. I want to make sure your son/daughter is ready for college and not just with the academics portion of it and yes that is important, although I want to help them become mentally ready for the road ahead as well. As many of you know life isnt about how people gain materialistic items, or how so and so can read and write is about the drive that separates us from one to another. The will to want to do something, and the why to do it this is what I want to teach children not only to become better students yet to become better people, and hopefully one day watch them build our future.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Michigan Dearborn - Current Undergrad, Elementary, Middle school education
I like to workout and go bowling.
- BASIC
- Basic Computer Literacy
- Computer Science
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Science
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- GED Prep
- GED Science
- GED Social Studies
- High School Writing
- Math
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Reading Comprehension
- Middle School Science
- Middle School Writing
- Public Speaking
- Social Networking
- Technology and Coding
- Test Prep
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I like to teach cognitively, which means I don't tend to be redundant through lesson plans. I will touch base on important ideas and topics, although if the student already understands set content, then I would explain the part of the content they don't understand, like filling in the gaps of their knowledge base.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would introduce myself, and allow them to introduce themselves so I can understand them as a person, a student, and get to know their learning styles so I can better serve that student.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can slowly assign small task for them to do themselves. As they complete these tasks, we would move on from there.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would show them the reason they are learning a subject matter and how it is used in the real-life application of the career at which these employees work.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would approach the learning style in a different way. I could redo the lesson plans to better fit the student's needs based on what type of learner he/she is.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Start off reading something very small, or a short story, and talking about it. Then move on from there. If the student can comprehend the short stories, then you slowly build them into books.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
To test them and see exactly what we need to work on. Also, it's very important to know what that student's interests are and what they want to do. If a student feels he/she is going to be bored, then you already lost that student.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Change the subject matter into something that would interest the student. Like if a student doesn't like to read, yet likes video games, then have that student read gaming magazines for his/her assignments. This way they are staying excited/engaged in the subject area they are struggling in.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would orally ask him/her questions, like "what were they doing here?" or "what were they talking about? Why is that important?" I would want the student to respond to me with what he/she actually thinks is happening, and this is easier than having them write it down.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Have them teach the subject to me. If a student can teach me what they just learned or what they have been learning, they will understand the content better than just doing the "work," so to speak. Their confidence will go up as they are able to explain what they are doing in the content area.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I work with them, and as I get to know them more, the more I start to see what that student needs or what areas of understanding need to be focused on. If a student has an I.E.P., then we can work with that as well. Although, I find it best to just get to know the student and go from there.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I make changes on the fly to adapt to any needs the students would have during the session. I feel that, if a tutor can be adaptive, the more likely the students will succeed in their subject area.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
It varies, although I like my dry-erase board. I feel they are very useful and can be adaptive in a session.