Becki
Certified Tutor
I am a lifelong learner who is excited to work with you! I am an avid reader (I read 150 books last year) and am always looking for something new to teach myself. My new goals are becoming more fluent in French and HTML, and to more consistently write on my theater blog. I love to travel and another goal is to take an international trip this year, to Africa.
My full time job is in marketing for a construction company. This has helped me gain some perspective on how hard it can be to learn new subjects you are unfamiliar with. I am constantly learning new things every day from people with completely different skill sets than me, and it's fascinating to work on such a diverse range of projects.
My parents and two of my sisters are teachers, so I am familiar with many age groups and learning needs. I've also served as a teacher and tutor myself, particularly in reading and ESL. I am interested in tutoring many subjects - please contact me if you are interested in working together!
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Undergraduate Degree: Augsburg College - Bachelors, English, History, Minor in International Relations
Reading, traveling, writing, theater, arts, cooking, running, swimming, history
- College English
- College Essays
- College Geography
- College Level American History
- College World History
- English
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- European History
- Geography
- Gifted
- Government
- High School English
- High School Geography
- High School Level American History
- High School World History
- History
- Homework Support
- Other
- Public Speaking
- Reading
- Social Studies
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- World History
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe there is no such thing as a stupid student or dumb question - if you don't understand something, you just haven't had it presented to you yet in a way that you can best access.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I want to know the student! What are hobbies, interests, skills, fears, things that seem hard to do and why? I want to target my lessons to a student's learning style and help them have the passion for lifelong learning that I have.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Find subjects, or methods, that are interesting to the student. For example, there are SO many books out there - if you hate princesses but love science, don't read fairy tales - read science books! There are so many amazing things to learn, it's just a matter of finding what speaks to the student.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Learning about the goal setting process is key. Right away we would set our final goal - what do you want to learn? It has to be deeper than simply passing a test. Once we figure that out we'll make an actionable plan leading the student to that goal with different milestones along the way.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Find a new way to present it! Maybe the student is a visual learner or conceptual, rather than textual. We'd try a different tactic.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Vocabulary is so key. We will go over vocab and learning how to use context clues to define words - comprehension is much easier once you know what all the words mean.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Again, we will find a way to approach it that is interesting. Maybe they need a short video or comic to get them visually stimulated, or find an activity that gets them physically engaged. Learning doesn't just happen on paper - it happens everywhere, all the time.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Lots of question and answer. I'll make sure to quiz as we go and we will pause if something is confusing, and I always encourage my students to ask questions at any time.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Setting those milestone-oriented goals is a great way to build confidence. Something can seem far away, but if you are checking off mini-goals along the way, it can feel much more doable.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
We will talk about what the student wants in our first session and what he/she needs help with and has the least confidence in. I'll also pay attention as the lessons continue for anything that seems to be difficult or need more attention.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
My sessions are tailored to the student, so it is very important that I get to know the student right away. Hobbies, interests, after school activities, favorite games/skillsets, and more are all important pieces of information that I use to find ways to tie interesting things into each session.