Josh
Certified Tutor
My PhD program was very interdisciplinary and included Advanced Math, Statistics, Nutrition, Toxicology, Advanced Biochemistry, Exposure Science, Public Health Policy, Computer Programming in R and technical writing that led to 5 peer-reviewed publications. I've tutored students in Advanced Nutrition (gene-nutrient interaction), SAT prep (critical reading and math), AP Statistics, College Statistics and look forward to fully utilizing my previous PhD experience as I intend to offer tutoring in a variety and math, science and writing subjects.
I am a Chess Coach for elementary schools in Maryland and Virginia. I have a 1730 USCF rating and an "Expert" performance rating in my last tournament. I can improve your chess game through a conventional approach reinforced with computer-learning tools which I used to improve my chess game dramatically from a beginner to a solid intermediate player in a very short time.
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Undergraduate Degree: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo - Bachelors, Food Science
Graduate Degree: University of California-Davis - PHD, Biology, General
Chess
What is your teaching philosophy?
My goal is to improve the way in which students problem-solve in order to improve critical thinking skills and test scores.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
During the first session with a student, it is important to evaluate problem-solving skills and experience in the subject. After the assessment, I will help students improve in both areas.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I work on improving a student's critical-thinking skills, which can be used beyond the current homework assignment, test, or problem set.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I show real-life ways that I've used the subject matter or seen it used.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Provide examples the student could relate to.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Describe how I would break down the passage.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Find some common interests.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Show some practical examples of how the subject could be used.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Ask the student to solve a new problem while guiding at key junctures.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Congratulate the student on successes and work on the challenges with enthusiasm.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Watch the student work through a problem and note the challenges.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I am very flexible, and will meet in person and online on short notice.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I've used peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, statistical programming languages and other tools.