Carol: La Grange Park tutor
Certified Tutor
I thoroughly enjoy spending time with kids of all ages. It is important to see the uniqueness in every individual because as you discover each persons traits, you can know what it takes to help them to succeed. This is my approach to instruction. I received my Masters degree in Education with a Reading Endorsement and my Bachelors degree in Special Education with a minor in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. I have experience as a teacher in public and private education. I also have experience with tutoring in home settings and in an online learning lab.
Mentoring is also something that I enjoy and it has become a way of life for me. I worked for a mentoring program called MentorKids USA where I supervised mentors, connected with families and planned activities. In addition, I have experience in working with students of other cultures, since my most recent position was teaching high school students who had come to the United States as refugees. In this position, I helped them to complete their high school diplomas. I have also assisted many students in going on to higher education, so I have become very accomplished at editing university papers as well.
Although I was born in California, I am almost an Arizona native. I enjoy the diversity of this state and I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, biking and skiing. Traveling is also something I enjoy and I have been to many countries throughout the world. I also enjoy reading and crafts, but mostly I enjoy spending time with children, youth and young adults; teaching, mentoring and encouraging them in various ways.
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Undergraduate Degree: Arizona State University - Bachelors, Special Education/Elementary Ed. Minor
Graduate Degree: Arizona State University - Masters, Education (Reading Emphasis)
Mentoring, reading, hiking,biking
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning is fun! Everyone can succeed! It is important for the teacher to discover a way to teach that will make the student(s) successful.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a typical first lesson with a student, I would want to do an activity or game that would help me to get to know them and to assess their learning style.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can help a student to become an independent learner by giving him/her the tools to succeed and allowing him/her to accomplish the task.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would first need to learn what is important to the student and what motivates him/her. Once I have this information, then I can help the student to stay motivated.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, then I would break it down into smaller parts so that they can accomplish sub-skills as they work their way up to accomplishing the skill.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I would have them orally read portions of the piece of literature and then ask them questions so that they would think about what they are reading. I would also encourage them to look up words that they did not know. I would also teach them to summarize all or part of the passage.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Each student is a unique individual, so the best strategy is to learn to know the student and to find out what works best for him/her.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would find a way to make it relevant to him/her. It is much easier to get excited/engaged with something that you can resonate with.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
There are several ways to make sure that the student understands the material. 1) If it is a math problem or a question (reading or English), give them a similar one to the one you have worked on and see if they can apply the concepts to answer the question, 2) Oral questioning techniques, and 3) Maybe a brief quiz in the form of a game.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I would build their confidence by providing them with positive feedback and encouragement.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I would evaluate a student's needs by asking questions and getting to know them. I may also use an informal assessment to determine their needs.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I would do what I could to get to know the student so that I could assess their individual need and adapt my tutoring accordingly.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
This depends on what I am teaching. Possibly paper, pens or pencils, books, worksheets, possibly a small whiteboard, games, and note cards, etc.