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A photo of Derek, a tutor from Columbia University in the City of New York

Derek: Blue Island tutor

Certified Tutor

I believe learning is the key to success. No matter the goals that define what one determines success to be, one must be able to live a life of continuous learning in order to stay intellectually sharp and keep up to pace with a changing future. The perplexing hurdle that prevents learning is not knowing how to learn. Contrary to intuitive thought, learning must be learned. Memorization of material without truly understanding concepts is not learning rather, it is a dangerous road that leads to falsehood of knowledge. My goal as a teacher of any subject is to assist the student to come to their own conclusions through the analysis and use of underlying concepts. The independent determination of concepts marks the skill of learning. It must be known that this is not an easy thing to accomplish and struggling is inevitable; however, persistence through the struggle results in moments of glorifying clarity. As a teacher, my job is to provide the tools necessary to succeed in this way. As a result, I use an approach of teaching in which the use of visual aids and examples allow the student to relate any subject to their personal goals. I believe this approach keeps the student motivated throughout the process of learning.
I promise to do my best to teach a student how to teach themselves, think independently, think critically, and become successful as a result.

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Derek’s Qualifications
Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: Columbia University in the City of New York - Current Undergrad, Applied Physics

Test Scores
ACT English: 31
Hobbies

Reading, Video Games, Skateboarding, Socializing, Going to Hockey Games

Tutoring Subjects
Algebra
Algebra 2
College Algebra
College Physics
Computer Programming
High School Physics
Homework Support
Java
Math
Other
Physics
Pre-Algebra
Science
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
What is your teaching philosophy?

Memorizing equations and answers without truly understanding concepts does nothing but stunt success. Knowing something simply is not enough - one must also be able to think abstractly and critically. My approach to teaching emphasizes critical thinking in order to prepare a student for work, research, and the future in general.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

Every student has different goals, motivators, and ways of learning. For the first lesson, it is important to learn all of these things about the student in order to optimize time together, maximize what is learned, and keep the motivation to succeed alive. I would also let the student know that in the journey to truly understand a subject, there will be times of struggle; however, I would reassure the student that struggling is not only ok, but leads to moments of clarity that fuels the passion to learn.