Peter
Certified Tutor
I graduated from Carleton College in 2014 and worked in documentary production for a couple years, during which time I also studied for the GRE and applied to grad school, ultimately ending up at Northwestern University studying documentary media.
My passion for projects that are unique and illuminate subjects in innovative ways ignites my passion for teaching, where the name of the game is to work with learners to find approaches that work for them. I have tutored the ACT, SAT, GRE, as well as math and english academic subjects.
In my free time I enjoy playing club rugby, seeking out movies and books, going for runs, and traveling.
Connect with a tutor like Peter
Undergraduate Degree: Carleton College - Bachelor of Fine Arts, Film Studies
Graduate Degree: Northwestern University - Master of Fine Arts, Documentary Production
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1510
- SAT Math: 760
- SAT Verbal: 700
- SAT Writing: 720
- GRE Quantitative: 167
- GRE Verbal: 166
Rugby, movies, photography, books, travel, the outdoors, football (go pats), running
- ACT Prep
- ACT English
- ACT Math
- ACT Reading
- ACT Science
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE
- GRE Analytical Writing
- GRE Quantitative
- GRE Verbal
- Other
- Quantitative Reasoning
- SAT Summer Scholars
- STAAR EOC Prep
- Test Prep
- VTLSC
What is your teaching philosophy?
Focus on concepts and principles rather than particular solutions, and simply do your best! No more. No less.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I introduce myself (my background, my interests, my hobbies), and I get to know the student. Then, I ask about the student's goals for the course, and we go over how we can best achieve those goals. After that, we dive right into whatever the student wants to tackle first.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Becoming an independent learner is all about figuring out the reasons for the answer rather than just the answer itself. So, my teaching will be focused on methods and strategies that students can master and then use on their own.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By remaining enthusiastic, positive, realistic, and goal-oriented.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Practice makes perfect, so I would continue by demonstrating a use of the concept in the solution of a problem, and then I would try to work through another problem with the student to see if they could use the concept to solve it.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
If none of the strategies I was teaching were taking hold, I would advise them to read more in their free time. I would find something that interests them (ex. cars, entertainment, politics, sports) and point them in the direction of good writing about that topic.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
It is good to allow the student to guide the structure of the lessons in the beginning so that they feel they have an active role in their improvement. They will also likely be able to tell you what areas they need to focus on the most.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I have a natural intellectual curiosity, so I'm always able to find something about a subject that makes it interesting. Whether it's English, history, chemistry, physics, etc., there's always a way to frame the subject to make it interesting to the student.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would encourage the student to speak more than I speak by having them work through the problems, asking them questions, and keeping them engaged.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
The more you can facilitate students in working through a problem on their own, the more they will build confidence in that subject.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By asking the student. I always make sure I'm on the same page as them.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By being open-minded and flexible.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Pen and paper. Calculator. Occasionally the Internet to show the student something that might interest them or engage them.