Priyanka: Long Island tutor
Certified Tutor
I received my Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Studies from New York University. At NYU, I also completed the premedical curriculum and am currently seeking admission into medical school. I grew up in Central New Jersey as a student of the largest high school district in the state. My own educational opportunities have helped me develop a passion and reverence for education. I spent my first postgraduate year serving under-resourced 8th grade students in Brooklyn; in this position, I helped motivate and lead my students, many of whom face great challenges and adversity in life, to academic success in the subjects of Math, English, and Science. While I tutor many subjects, I have a particular passion for Math and Sciences seeing as those are the subjects I will continue to pursue in my own life. I have also had particular success in prepping students for test taking by using my extensive experience in this area to assist my students. I would describe my teaching style and philosophy as a development of mutual respect; I have come to understand that a student's respect for learning is often a reflection of his or her teacher's attitude toward the learning process. I am a patient and caring teacher and I care greatly for my students' improvements. In my free time, you can find me fancying myself a film critic or picking up a stray set on the tennis court.
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Undergraduate Degree: New York University - Bachelor in Arts, Cinema studies and prehealth
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1510
- SAT Math: 720
- SAT Verbal: 730
- SAT Writing: 740
Enjoys reading and writing about film/television. Likes playing tennis
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Biology
- Chemistry
- College Algebra
- College Biology
- College Chemistry
- College Physics
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- High School Biology
- High School Chemistry
- High School Physics
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Science
- Physical Science
- Physics
- Pre-Algebra
- Science
- Statistics
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is that all students, regardless of obstacles or difficulties in learning, are capable of succeeding when provided with genuine, effective, and differentiated support.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would build a lesson that first introduced myself to the student and vice versa. Then, we would move on to ascertain why the student was there (i.e., what their goals are for receiving tutoring, how they feel about it, etc.). Finally, I would give a small assessment on the student's weaknesses and strengths in the subject in question.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By using an I Do, We Do, You Do model of tutoring. First, the tutor demonstrates the proper way or method of approaching a question to the student. Then, there is a guided practice question in which both the student and tutor go through the problem together, from beginning to end. Finally, the student is prompted to answer the question independently.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I think motivation differs depending on the student. I have often found that intentional goal setting is a good way to keep students accountable for their attitudes and actions.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student is having difficulty learning a skill or concept, I would first try to understand where the student is having this difficulty and address that directly. Often the problem can be found in a gap in understanding of a more fundamental skill. I would also try differentiating my approach (for example, using manipulatives for more visual learners).
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Often, tapping into the student's basic interests and making reading an engaging experience can help a tutor understand if it is a student's lack of motivation or a more fundamental gap in understanding that is causing difficulty with reading comprehension.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Getting to know the student as a person, outside of the subject, is often the best way to gain a student's trust and keep it. Also, letting the student know that you have their best interests at heart and that their success is your success helps.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
By connecting a difficult subject to a topic that is of interest to the students, it is easier to get students excited about their work.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Checking for understanding, either by assessments or follow-up questions, is the most important step of closing out a lesson.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Allowing a student to observe his or her progress and keeping records and anecdotal accounts is a good way to help that student understand how much they have grown.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By carrying out diagnostic assessments that gauge a student's strengths and weaknesses in a subject.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
The better I get to know the student, the better I am able to understand their needs for differentiation. Many students require study aids; it is simply a matter of finding the one that works for the student in question.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
It differs from student to student. Some students require visual aids; others merely need endless practice material.