Kevin: Fox Lake tutor
Certified Tutor
I graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Psychology. I plan to continue school and pursue a master's degree in Physician Assistant Studies. I have taught at many tutoring facilities including Chadbourne Elementary School and Hopkin's Junior High School in Fremont, UC Davis, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Academy. Many of the tutees I have taught range from elementary students to undergraduates. I am competent in basic arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, biology, and chemistry, but my favorite subject would have to be chemistry because I believe it is extremely relevant in many fields. My tutoring techniques are very versatile due to my experience from teaching in a classroom setting and private tutoring. In the classroom, my goal is to thoroughly cover the basics by drilling my tutees with lots of practice problems. I also try to facilitate group work, in order to stimulate critical thinking. In a private setting, my goal is to learn about my tutee's studying habits and weaknesses, so that I my design a regimen that ensure his or her success in the class. I try to impart to all my tutees about how important practice is when learning something new. Practice and repetition allows an individual to not only minimize mistakes, but it also gives them new insight on certain problems and on how a certain method can be applied to a different situation.
Outside of academia, I have a wide range of hobbies. I like to play badminton competitively and hike though mountain trails. Instead of video games, I opt for playing board games with my friends; my favorites would be Settler's of Catan and Carcassonne. I also like to build and detail Gundam plastic models and have even founded a plastic model club in Davis to teach my techniques to others who were interested in the hobby. But what I love most is to learn new things every day. I would study scientific articles and read how scientists are finding new ways to treat certain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Schizophrenia, which I find very interesting.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of California-Davis - Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
I like to play Magic the Gathering and badminton on my spare time. I ongoing hobby is building gundam plastic models.
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Arithmetic
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- College Algebra
- College Biology
- College Chemistry
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- General Biology
- General Chemistry
- High School Biology
- High School Chemistry
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Pre-Algebra
What is your teaching philosophy?
My philosophy is to impart my passion for the subject matter on to my student so that they do not feel intimidated by it.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would introduce myself and get to know the student, and have the student get to know me. This allows me to set up a comfortable learning environment for the student.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I answer my student's questions with questions in order for them to think independently and critically, so that they may be able to learn independently without the help of a tutor.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would give them certain responsibilities to fulfill before each session. I would tell them to pick out certain questions and topics they are struggling in so that we may cover them in greater detail during each session.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student is struggling with a concept, I would take a quick break so that the student does not become frustrated. I would also move on to a similar, but different concept, and try to tie the two concepts together to better the student's understanding.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I would give them practice material to improve their reading comprehension. I would first start with small excerpts, and gradually increase their reading load.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would tell them how relevant the subject is in certain fields. For example, if my student loves eating good food, I can tie certain aspects of biochemistry to how food is digested.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would bring in practice problems for the student to work on. Besides working generic problems found in a book, it's important for the student to be able to apply certain concepts in different ways.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I would give him a lot of positive feedback. Even when the student answers a question incorrectly, I point out what he did right and how he can improve on his problem solving skills.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I evaluate a student's needs by looking at past homework or tests in order to gauge their strengths and weaknesses. I would also give them a variety of problems to solve including conceptual, mathematical, and critical thinking types of problems to pinpoint their weaknesses.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I would communicate with both the parents and the student to see what teaching style would be best. Even if they are not sure, it just comes to trial and error. If the student does not respond to verbal teaching, he or she may understand the concept using drawings.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I typically bring scratch paper to each session for the student to freely write on. I also bring a whiteboard and marker so that I can visibly draw and write what I need to during a tutoring session.