Ethan: South Elgin tutor
Certified Tutor
I have been fortunate enough to have been taught by some outstanding and truly inspiration teachers and am well aware of the effect that they have subsequently had on my life and career choices. Those teachers from kindergarten on through university taught me a lot about the complexity and beauty of the world and allowed me to develop skills and knowledge that have allowed me to work for top global banks and hospitals as well as work in finance because of their dedication and passion. My own passion for teaching emanates from my desire to share the same fascination and appreciation I experienced as a student and fulfill the same inspiration roles my teachers did when I was a wee lad.
I have always enjoyed teaching and have a rich array of teaching experiences, from teaching first grade where they are just bursting with enthusiasm, to teaching Korean doctors in rural South Korean towns the intricacies of medical and conversational English. My diverse background in teaching started when I acquired a teaching degree in social studies from The University of Texas at San Antonio which then was augmented by a B.S. degree in respiratory therapy from the University of Texas Health Science Center, which enabled me to teach patients and family members how to prevent and manage their disease conditions. Studying global languages and cultures, and coming from a very multilingual family,--which has enabled me to make conversation in 22 languages-- has taught me critical social skills and the essential importance of planning, preparation and communication to effective teaching. I learned that it is imperative to cultivate good relationships with pupils, parents and staff as much as possible to provide an organic and holistic educational experience that integrates the importance, relevance and interconnectedness of all disciplines to a rich, comprehensive educational foundation that augments a child's extracurricular activities. Under the tutelage of outstanding mentors over the years I have become adept at building these relationships, and can successfully guide students along their educational journey to maximize their potential and discover their hidden talents in addition to inspiring them to excel and develope what they do best to achieve their maximum potential.
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Undergraduate Degree: UTSA and UTHSCSA - Bachelors, Geography, Teaching and Respiratory Therapy
Likes to learn! Loves linguistics, literature, nature. Holistic organic learning.
- ACT Writing
- Arithmetic
- Business
- College Business
- College Economics
- College English
- College Geography
- Conversational Italian
- Conversational Spanish
- Earth Science
- Economics
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Geography
- GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE Analytical Writing
- High School Business
- High School Economics
- High School English
- High School Geography
- Italian
- Languages
- Life Sciences
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Reading
- SAT Writing and Language
- Science
- Social Studies
- Spanish
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Test Prep
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe in guiding students so that they develop an understanding of the organic whole of all knowledge and an appreciation of the interrelatedness of all disciplines and how they influence the global, political, historical, linguistic, and topographical landscape. I also believe in inspiring students and guiding them as they create their own conceptual paradigms of understanding and build upon them.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would ascertain hobbies and subjects that they like.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
One can teach the student skills and strategies to monitor and develop his/her own understanding.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would focus on goals, encouragement, and the need for self discipline to attain those goals.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would ascertain what he/she does understand and then utilize different strategies to guide him/ her to attain that particular concept.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I ask them to ask themselves critical thinking questions needed to determine the goal and purpose of what they are reading and to gauge their own understanding.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I encourage students to identify the goal and the relationship between all the constituent parts.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would encourage them and remind them that everything worthwhile requires hard work and dedication. I would also teach them the relevance of the subject to their future and success.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I ascertain what a student understands by requiring the student to articulate his/her knowledge to me. This lets me know what he/she knows and what is needed to complete his/her knowledge and understanding.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
One must inform the student that learning is a process that consists of building blocks that are put on each other. Sometimes, the wall doesn't clearly convey a subject until all the bricks are put in place. Concepts often build upon each other.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
One must first look at a student's work to evaluate his/her level and then go from there.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
One must change it according to the student's learning style. Some students are visual learners, and others are not. Visual learners learn very, very fast when shown concepts visually.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
It depends on the subject. Foreign language teaching often requires watching dialogues and reading newspapers and then asking questions. Other subjects just require pen, paper, and a calculator.