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A photo of Sebastian, a tutor from University of Central Florida

Sebastian

Certified Tutor

I graduated from the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow, with enough credits to be granted the IB Diploma. As part of the graduation requirements, I had to have at least 150 hours of various community service types. Over 120 of these hours were logged in tutoring a group of 4th graders, which is where the most of my experience in tutoring has stemmed from.]

I am currently working towards a bachelor's degree in Computer Science at the University of central Florida.

I am tutoring mainly in three subjects: Computer Science (General/AP/IB), Spanish (General/AP/IB), and IB English Language/Literature. My favorite one to teach is Computer Science, as it tends to be the easiest one to teach, and has many practical applications outside of a learning environment.

Many of my lessons will involve breaking concepts down to their core mechanics, teaching the subject from a ground-up perspective, and incorporating examples and exercises for the student to use. The lessons need to be presented in a manner that is not so complex that the student feels overwhelmed, but also not so simple that the student feels patronized and stops learning.

Outside of tutoring, my interests involves writing, reading, playing games and socializing with friends.

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Sebastian’s Qualifications
Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: University of Central Florida - Current Undergrad, Computer Science

Test Scores
SAT Verbal: 720
Hobbies

Writing, Video Games, Socializing, Cooking, Learning Forgeign Languages

Tutoring Subjects
AP Computer Science
AP Computer Science A
AP Spanish Language & Culture
College Computer Science
Computer Science
Conversational Spanish
High School Computer Science
IB Computer Science
IB Computer Science SL
IB Language A: Language and Literature
IB Language A: Language and Literature HL
IB Language A: Literature
IB Language A: Literature HL
IB Language B
IB Language B SL
Languages
Spanish
Spanish 1
Spanish 2
Spanish 3
Technology and Coding
What is your teaching philosophy?

Typically, I tend to break lessons into tiny pieces, teaching small concepts that connect together and build to a larger, arcing whole. It's unreasonable to expect students to understand complicated subject without first learning the mechanics behind said subjects. With this in mind, I use a lot of examples to support the learning process, and will generally refuse to teach by pre-built templates (e.g. I won't teach Spanish like a phrase book).

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

I will explain my teaching methods. Then, I'll give simple quizzes to gauge how much a student knows about the subject. Any topics that they do not know or are shaky on, we'll begin there. If they have absolutely no prior knowledge, then I will teach the absolute basics.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I will give or recommend to them resources to further learn. I'll ask them to study a certain concept and next time we meet, I'll ask them about what they learned when I wasn't there. I hope that with my teaching methods that I can also instill an interest in the subject, further giving them motivation to learn by themselves.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I want to present the lesson in a way that will be easily absorbed by the student. With this in mind, I will create a positive learning process that is calm and doesn't overwhelm the student.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

I will break the lesson into small pieces that the student can understand, and point out the underlying mechanics of the concepts being taught. If the student has further issues, we can move on to a similar subject and continue teaching until the student feels comfortable enough to move back.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

I'll have them write down the words they are having trouble reading. We'll look them up together, and if the word has any components that can be broken down (roots, prefixes, suffixes, etymology), I'll explain it to the student.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

Ask them how they learn best, and what they struggle at. The job of the tutor is to teach the student at a pace and format they can understand.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

Try to show them something cool or interesting that the subject is related to. I find that typically when a student isn't overwhelmed by the subject and has an idea of the real world applications of the subject, they can make themselves interested in the subject.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

Examples and a teaching method that teaches small concepts that build to a larger whole.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

If a student can do something by themselves correctly in a subject, they build their own confidence in a subject. With this in mind, I tend to quiz students often about the concepts that were taught.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Typically, one can compare their knowledge of a subject with a syllabus of topics that a student should know. I encourage students to be open about their troubles in a subject, and emphasize that acting like they are okay in a subject that they are not will hurt them badly when they are asked to express their knowledge of that subject.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

Examples can come in a variety of sources and mediums, and additionally subjects that they don't know or are shaky in can be restructured and emphasized to ensure the student can understand the topics being taught.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

Computers, paper examples, and quizzes will typically be sufficient for most lessons. If not, then I can devise new materials for use, and either use them immediately if possible, or prepare them at home for use with the next lesson.