Rebekah
Certified Tutor
I studied International Development at Cornell College and graduated Summa Cum Laude with my Bachelor of Arts in International Development. While in college, I worked as a Peer Tutor at Cornell College Writing Studio for three years. I worked with college students in all disciplines and at all different levels, from struggling freshman to thesis writing seniors. After graduation, I taught English as a Second Language to 450 6th-8th graders at a public school in India for a year. While in India I also worked at a local non-profit, teaching basic literacy skills to disadvantaged young girls.
I love teaching reading and writing, which luckily is involved in almost every subject! I am passionate about helping students who have a poor relationship with learning and only find it boring. Education should be about discovery and empowerment; it should never feel discouraging. As a tutor, I give tutees as much power and choice as possible in order to help them become independent learners. My teaching style revolves around their learning style and needs.
In my free time, I love to read and spend time with my family and cats. I enjoy reading, baking, and taking walks with my husband.
Connect with a tutor like Rebekah
Undergraduate Degree: Cornell College - Bachelors, International Development
I love reading, crocheting, and volunteering.
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade Reading
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- Adult Literacy
- College English
- College Essays
- Comparative Literature
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Homework Support
- Literature
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- Phonics
- Public Speaking
- Reading
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- US History
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Since high school, I have strongly agreed with William Butler Yeats when he said “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” It is a teacher’s job to facilitate a student’s learning journey; to guide them, not to drag them. At its core, education should be empowering for the student. As a teacher and tutor, I prefer to teach "how to" learn rather than teach facts and ideas.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
During a typical first session with a student, I'm most focused on making sure the student feels at ease and empowered. We'll get to know each other and then develop a tutoring plan. We will discuss the students' goals and where and how he or she is hoping to improve. Our first session would be relaxed, mainly focused on creating a comfortable relationship and space for the student to learn in.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
As William Butler Yeats said "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." Education is about discovery and empowerment, not memorization. To this end, my goal as a tutor and a teacher is for every student to become an independent learner. I have many different strategies for this, depending on the student. They vary from teaching specific reading comprehension skills, effective study habits, time management, or anything else the student needs in order to make the learning his or her own.