Alex
Certified Tutor
I have been tutoring for five years now. I started tutoring near the end of high school, and I have since then used tutoring to help me get by in my college years. I have tutored all kinds of different students, ranging from kindergarten through seniors in high school. I have also tutored a diverse number of subjects, but most of my hours have gone into reading, writing, math and test prep.
I love meeting new students and working with them to aid in a better learning experience. Making sessions fun is important (whether we are in person or online), and it will make our time working together more enjoyable. I'm looking forward to working with all of you.
I have a degree in English, and I have started a career in the field of journalism.
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Undergraduate Degree: Portland State University - Bachelor in Arts, English
Reading, Sports (Basketball, Football, Soccer), Movies, Writing, FIFA, College (PSU), Radio
- 10th Grade
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- Adult Literacy
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Arithmetic
- College Algebra
- College English
- College Essays
- Comparative Literature
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Geometry
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Homework Support
- Literature
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Other
- Pre-Algebra
- Public Speaking
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I want students to realize the importance of learning throughout the tutoring experience. My philosophy revolves around strong communication with my students to ease the learning process.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I'd get to know them, and feel out the best way to work with them. After that, I would start the tutoring process and get to understand the best way the student learns.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By communicating the importance of work outside of tutoring. Learning should be continued.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By stressing how significant learning is and relating my own experience in school to their own.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Spend extra time on it and make sure that I have exhausted every way to teach the skill or concept.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Go through sentences with them. Make sure they are reading every word, and understanding everything as well. Ask them questions.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Learning who they are. The more you can relate to a student, the more willing they are to listen to what you have to say.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Dependent on what the subject is, of course, I would talk about my experience with it, and how learning is just the first step of how far you can take any type of subject.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
By letting students work through problems themselves. The help I give will slowly dissipate the farther we get into the same subject matter.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Congratulating correct answers and not making wrong answers seem negative, but rather a chance to grow.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Asking them what they want to learn, and using my own judgement to see where they can grow.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Strong communication. The more we talk, the better I can evaluate adjustments that I need to make.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Pencil, paper, calculator (if needed), scratch paper, and anything else we might need.