Anita
Certified Tutor
When I first started tutoring, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Initially, I'd only decided to do it because my high school offered two free years of community college upon the completion of 50 hours of peer tutoring. However, as I spent time with my peers who were taking much of the same classes I was but just weren't getting it, I stumbled upon a passion I didn't know I had. I genuinely care about my students. I want them to succeed and feel confident in their knowledge. As a tutor, and as a student who once needed a tutor, I understand the frustration and humiliation that comes with doing poorly in a subject. I pride myself on being able to communicate with my students on a deeper level so I know exactly what they need from me, and how to cater to their needs specifically. I try to keep my own knowledge current. I'm able to tutor the subjects that I do because they're things I enjoy not just in an academic conext, but also on my own spare time, so I'm always reading about that stuff anyway. My dedication is to always be there exactly when and how I'm needed for my students.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Central Missouri - Bachelor of Science, Occupational Safety & Health
- ACT English: 31
- ACT Reading: 33
poetry, art, film
- ACT English
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- College Algebra
- COMPASS Reading
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Other
- Pre-Algebra
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
The best way to teach is to build a bridge that connects your students to the material. You can't just regurgitate information; you have to make it relevant to them so they genuinely want to learn it.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I'd get to know them and what they're like outside the context of academia. I'd try to find out what is important to them and what makes them feel good. Having this information can make it easier during tutoring to connect with and get through to my student.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can teach them various study skills and special tricks about education in general that I've picked up as a student, and then learned how to hone later as a student.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By letting them know that a poor grade doesn't define them. It can be easy to lose hope, but there is always going to be a next grade-- another chance to fight and maybe even surprise yourself.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I'd first try to target exactly where their understanding of the subject goes awry, and then start working backwards from there. I'd try to approach it with different methods to figure out which they respond to.