Maggy
Certified Tutor
I was born and raised in Iceland. I have a BA in French from University of Iceland and an MFA in Acting from Regent University. I have tutored for about a year in French and Languages. I find tutoring very rewarding and I am incredibly proud of all of my students. In my opinion, teaching is an art form that requires a committed focus from both the teacher and the student. Despite all the distractions of the world, my goal as a tutor is to be flexible with my students while offering them quality-learning sessions that have a clear point of concentration. My goal is to create a learning environment that has the freedom and clear channel of communication, which allows my students to explore the subject area and develop good learning habits. Further, communication is an essential element in quality teaching; therefore, I am committed to engaging with my students and connect with them to establish a fun and focused learning session.
I have lived in Paris, Reykjavik, New York, Miami, and now Denver. I love to travel and discover and explore new places, cultures, people, and food. I also like sports, in particular, soccer. I am a huge Manchester United fan. Further, I am starting to appreciate American Football more and more, but I do not have a specific team that I root for maybe I will become a Broncos fan. Finally, reading has always been a big part of my life, and I always have to have a least one book on my nightstand. Right now, I prefer to read Scandinavian crime novels, such as Stieg Larssons Girl With the Dragoon Tattoo and Jussi Adler Olsons Department Q series.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Iceland - Bachelors, French
Graduate Degree: Regent University - Masters, Theatre
Traveling, food, literature, languages, theatre, art, and films.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In my opinion, to know my students' needs will help me to help them. Therefore, in my first session, I will focus on the introduction in order to know what the next step is.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I will encourage my students to be more reflective concerning their studies. Also, I will encourage them to try to complete their activities, even when it is not 100% correct. I believe that it is vital to embrace and recognize mistakes in order to learn from them.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I will do my absolute best to encourage my students. Further, I will try to find activities that are more focused on their interests. For example, if my student likes films, I would create an activity that includes films.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would recognize the problem and adjust my teaching methods. I know that no student is the same, so I really focus on being flexible concerning my teaching methods.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I know and work with the IPA. Therefore, I would focus on sound instead of words, for oftentimes, sounds can help students to recognize letters. Also, I am an ESL student myself, so I have a personal experience of learning a new language.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
One of the most successful teaching strategies is being flexible to the students' specific needs. So, I cannot identify one specific strategy that works better than another.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would really focus on knowing their interest and creating activities that intrigue them.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I am always interested in their personal opinion about the subject, so I ask a lot of questions. Therefore, if a student can tell me in his/hers own words what the exercise/activity was about, then I know that they understand the material.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I truly hope that my passion and encouragement will increase my student's confidence in the subject.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I evaluate my students' needs by getting to know them better.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I will do my absolute best to integrate their personal interests, such as art, animals, or traveling, in the activities.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I always try to use the students' workbooks, and then I will add activities that I create.
What is your teaching philosophy?
In my opinion, one of my most important roles as an educator is to communicate my passion towards the subject matter to my students. Therefore, I seek to clearly communicate my passion to my students. Further, my objective is to encourage my students to think rationally and critically about the subject matter. Further, one of the main goals of education is to encourage students to question and seek answers. Therefore, I want to create a learning environment of openness and creativity that will encourage my students to question and seek answers about the subject matter. Thus, I want my students to become a reflective practitioner of knowledge.