Maisoon
Certified Tutor
Hola a todos! I offer personalized Spanish tutoring for beginner to advanced Spanish students or travelers. I fell in love with the language and culture and decided to double major in Psychology and Hispanic Studies. My fluency really took flight during my semester abroad in La Plata, Argentina. My senior year at the College of William and Mary, I was a TA (Teacher's Assistant) for the Hispanic Studies Department. This opportunity gave me the chance to design and conduct lessons every week for Intermediate Spanish classes. After graduation, I returned to South America for a temporary teaching position in Lima, Per. My position as an English instructor afforded me the opportunity to interact with native Spanish speakers on a daily basis.
More than anything I believe Spanish is like an instrument. Once you understand the rules of grammar, comparable to parts of the instrument, you can make "music." Spanish for me isn't just a hobby, it's what allows me to connect with other people on a fully personal level; it has taught me empathy, compassion and vulnerability. It's a humble instrument that gives perspective into another walk of life. I want those who I work with to understand that Spanish is what you make of it, there is no limit!
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Undergraduate Degree: The College of William and Mary - Bachelors, Psychology and Hispanic Studies
I enjoy running, reading, traveling, and trying new international cuisines!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Let's break the ice! See where your strengths and weaknesses in Spanish reside. What are your goals through these sessions? How do you learn best? What do you need from me as your tutor?
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Becoming an independent learner should to be enjoyable, right? Why not combine your interests WITH Spanish? This can be through music, movies, shows, reading, plays, cultural events, etc.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I believe that within the culture resides the language, and within the language resides the culture. Why not incorporate both to stay motivated? Let's learn the Spanish language through its contemporary issues, music, narratives, and cultural practices.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Patience is key as an instructor. My patience allows me to provide students with multiple explanations and techniques to fully comprehend concepts. This kind of patience goes hand in hand with perseverance and helps to create an inclusive environment, where student can respond to my dedicated, flexible, and nurturing attributes.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension takes practice, and lots of it. What I find extremely helpful is reading aloud. This allows better clarity and intake of the text.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
A mindfulness of just how important it is for students to feel understood and accepted is key to learners aspiring to their full potential. Upon awareness, how does my student best learn: visual, verbal, aural etc.? Listening is key. What are the goals of my student, and where do their interests reside?
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Find what makes the student tick; where their interests reside. For example, if you enjoy rock music, we can explore the rock explosion in Argentina. And from there, we can build vocabulary, work on the pronunciation of lyrics, and learn about Argentine culture. Just one of the many examples to get students engaged with what they're struggling in.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would probably create practice questions, but more importantly have the student teach me the material. If the student can answer a question correctly, and then further explain WHY it's that answer, the student then demonstrates successful comprehension and mastery over the learned material.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
To produce an effective capacity to learn, I believe it is of great importance that I create a safe space where my student's ideas are not only generated but the individual is also valued. To build a student's confidence, you must always remind them of the progress they've made and encourage them to continually persevere.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
A student's needs should not only be evaluated the first day, but also serve as a reference point throughout the sessions, for these needs may change. I think it's just a matter of expressing how the student-teacher relationship should resemble that of a team. We have to work together so that we may learn to communicate and address needs and goals together.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
You have to be flexible. If you're flexible, you are then listening to what your student needs, understanding how they learn best, and generating a productive and welcoming learning space.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Usually I like to find video clips to expand on grammar concepts, games, music, articles, and practice quizzes.
What is your teaching philosophy?
The center of my teaching philosophy is active learning. One of my ultimate objectives in teaching is to facilitate learning by helping students to gain the necessary skills to take control of and become active participants in their own learning. I truly believe that knowledge gained through active participation is knowledge that will stay with an individual.