Alexandra: Portsmouth tutor
Certified Tutor
I earned a BA in Political Science from The University of Pittsburgh with a minor in Portuguese and concentrations in Global Studies and Russian and Eastern European Studies. Currently I am applying to PhD programs in applied linguistics. My academic passions lie with language learning and policy. My personal interests include distance running, skiing, learning new languages, samba dancing, cooking, and traveling (especially to Brazil).
In regards to my experience as an educator, I spent one year with Jumpstart where I taught literacy and language skills to 4-year-old native Spanish-speaker. During my senior year of college, I volunteered with the English Language Institute of Pittsburgh practicing English language skills and conversational Portuguese with a young, Brazilian woman. After graduation, I spent three months in Brazil where I gave private English language lessons to a native Portuguese speaker from Angola. Because of my background teaching ESL and learning Portuguese at the university level, I have a strong grasp on grammar mechanics in English and how they translate to other languages (Polish and Portuguese). I have excellent writing skills in English at the collegiate level and also in Portuguese. I am confident tutoring in English writing and reading comprehension at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, college essay writing, and ESL.
As a tutor, I strive to be a collaborator who develops strong partnerships with students. I believe that in order to successfully educate, one must tailor lessons to the individual and be able to explain concepts in multiple ways until the student truly understands. Another aspect of my philosophy on tutoring is to teach critical thinking skillsa concept that is transferable to all academic subjects and professional settings. My goal is to go beyond helping students with specific subject areas; I want to teach them the ability to effectively consume, evaluate, and understand information.
Connect with a tutor like Alexandra
Undergraduate Degree: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus - Bachelors, International Relations
Cooking and trying new recipes
- College English
- College Essays
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- Reading
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
As a tutor, I strive to be a collaborator who develops strong partnerships with students. I believe that in order to successfully educate, one must tailor lessons to the individual and be able to explain concepts in multiple ways until the student truly understands. Another aspect of my philosophy on tutoring is to teach critical-thinking skills—a concept that is transferable to all academic subjects and professional settings. My goal is to go beyond helping students with specific subject areas; I want to teach them the ability to effectively consume, evaluate, and understand information.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would introduce myself and share personal interests. My next move would be to ask the student what they are interested in and ask them to tell me about their hobbies. After this, I would ask the student what subjects they feel confident in and what areas they are struggling in. My goal here is to get a sense of where the student's strengths and weaknesses lie. The next part of the session would encompass practice questions to see how the student approaches and answers material. The final part of the first session would be to ask the student to set personal, academic goals and to give them some practice options for next session. The ultimate goal of the first session is to establish a friendly learning environment and gain insight into how the student learns and thrives.