Anna
Certified Tutor
I recently moved from Potsdam, Germany to New Haven, CT. I grew up and studied environmental sciences in Germany, worked and traveled a lot internationally and have taught languages and science at the university and non-academic level. I enjoy teaching and I particularly enjoy supporting students who want to learn my beautiful but sometimes just a little too confusing language.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Potsdam - Bachelors, Environmental Science
Graduate Degree: University of Potsdam - Masters, Environmental Science
horse riding, farming and gardening, cooking and baking, politics, science and philosophy
What is your teaching philosophy?
Using a language is the best way to learn. With me you will be talking a lot!
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Make it fun! Learning a language is fun and opens the door to a whole new world. We will find out together which subjects my each student is excited about and learn how to talk about it in German.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Listening to German music is a great way to train understanding and enjoying the language at the same time. I will find a fit for many different tastes.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
My first approach always is to try to understand myself what the problem is. Once we have that clear, the solution will be easy to find.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In the first session we will spend some time on getting to know each other, and I have a short list of questions I like to sort out before we jump into the topic right away.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
For German students there are many tools available online that can be easily used to practice and learn more German. As a native German I know many popular resources, such as webpages and radio stations that I can recommend based on personal taste. This way the students will also be able to gain some insights into German culture and thinking, both of which help understanding and learning the language better.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
The first and obvious response to this problem is to practice reading. I will find interesting texts that fit with the student’s interests or requirements. Additionally, we will practice understanding the meaning of a paragraph that work. Particularly for exams and tests, this is a useful skill, and I will help the student to feel more confident with the language.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Learning a language is hard and can feel overwhelming. The key to building confidence is to focus on achievements and keep exercises on a level that fits the student's capabilities and requirements.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
This will happen at the beginning of the first session, with a list of questions I have prepared and some chatting about requirements and capabilities. For students of German this gives me a first impression of how well they understand and respond to my questions.