Edward
Certified Tutor
I've always loved school and learning. At the core of my teaching philosophy is the idea that anyone can learn anything, so long as the instructor is willing to teach to the student's style of learning. Most subjects came easily to me, but I hit a wall with math in middle school and just never seemed to be able to get it to 'click.' Then, I had a very patient teacher who helped me figure out how I could learn math, and it was like the wall crashed down. I would love to see every teacher have to teach his or her worst subject for a couple of years, in order to figure out how to become a better instructor.
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Undergraduate Degree: Michigan State University - Bachelors, History
Graduate Degree: University of Detroit Mercy School of Law - Masters, Law
Reading (history, science fiction, fanasy), Hiking, Camping, International Travel, Languages, Hurling (national sport of Ireland).
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Science
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- Administrative Law
- Adult Literacy
- American Literature
- College English
- College Essays
- College Geography
- College Level American History
- College Level American Literature
- Constitutional Law
- Contract Law
- Conversational French
- Conversational Spanish
- Creative Writing
- Criminal Law
- Elementary School Science
- English
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- European History
- Family Law
- French
- French 1
- French 2
- Geography
- High School Chemistry
- High School English
- High School Geography
- High School Level American History
- High School Level American Literature
- High School Writing
- History
- Languages
- Legal Research
- Legal Writing
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Science
- Middle School Writing
- Persuasive Writing
- Public Speaking
- Reading
- Social Studies
- Spanish
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Spanish 3
- Summer
- US Constitutional History
- US History
- Vocabulary
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Any subject can be made difficult to learn, if the teacher finds it easy and can't understand why the student doesn't. The key is to find the student's best method of learning.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Find out about the student- his or her background, likes and dislikes, and what subjects he or she wishes to improve. The last part includes what has worked and what hasn't worked in tackling the subject.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Work together at first, and slowly, as the student gains a solid foundation and confidence with the subject, let the student take on more and more work related to it.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By setting easily achieved goals; there's nothing worse than feeling that you've got the whole mountain to climb ahead of you. Establishing personal rewards for each step accomplished.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Try different methods of working with the subject matter. Some people are good with note-taking from lectures, others, from reading. Some people need hands-on learning.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Start with small portions and move on. As a civilization, thanks to the Internet, we have about a two minute attention span. By slowly increasing 'unplugged' time devoted to reading/comprehension, one can strengthen those skills.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Let the student show me what works and what doesn't work for him or her; then, try to identify why, in order to create a structure that will allow for success across the board.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Move away from a still, formal presentation of the material. The subjects I teach are languages, history, geography, etc. - they are all related to people. Instead of lists of facts, dates, or words to memorize, I prefer to show the dynamic human drama behind the subjects.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Formal and informal quizzes, using a variety of methods of testing.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
By setting goals that can be achieved, and progressing through those goals. Accomplishment gives rise to confidence, which, in turn, gives rise to further accomplishment.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Through a combination of the student telling me what he or she needs and through testing.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I try many different methods, and when I identify what works, I go with it.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
It depends on the subject; books, images, video, etc. can all provide a structure from which to teach.