Abby: Wokingham tutor
Certified Tutor
I have been a classroom teacher at the elementary level for three years and am highly dedicated to what I do. I believe my job, as an instructor, is to create an atmosphere that fosters learning. I am an instructor because I am dedicated to guiding students through the learning process, in addition to a passion for the material I present. One of the best ways to foster learning is to demonstrate those feelings to my students. I encourage learning by creating a relaxed environment for students, stimulating conversation about concepts being presented and organizing material in a way that makes it easiest to understand. I treat subject matter as interconnected, emphasizing that everything students are learning fits together into a holistic understanding of the world, from which they develop their personal worldview. Finally, I believe that respect for my students is one of the most important things I can show - not only to encourage their openness to the material I am presenting, but also to inspire them to respect each other and all other people.
One of the most important concepts I hope to convey to students is that learning is a process that never ends. For me, the learning process includes improving myself professionally. I want to read more about formal learning theories to understand more thoroughly how learning takes place. Finally, I plan to experiment with different methods and means of presenting information to students I tutor in order to improve the learning atmosphere I create for each individual student.
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Undergraduate Degree: Purdue University-Main Campus - Bachelors, Elementary Education
I love going to the park with my dog as well as doing other outside activities, like hiking and camping. I also love reading, traveling, and cooking new recipes!
- 1st Grade
- 2nd Grade
- 3rd Grade
- 4th Grade
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade
- College English
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- High School English
- Homework Support
- Math
- Other
- Reading
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe the fundamental goal of teaching is to foster learning. Learning takes place in many different circumstances and contexts. Although everyone is capable of learning, a student's desire to learn is essential for effectively mastering new concepts and skills. There are many different types of learning styles: some learn best with discussions, some are motivated by interactive learning games, and others absorb best with hands on activities. Accommodating different learning styles creates an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Students take many of their learning habits from the instructor. If the instructor doesn't show interest in the subject and a passion for learning, students are less likely to put forth as much effort to learn. An instructor must convince students of his or her dedication and enthusiasm in order to motivate them intrinsically.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In our first session together, I plan to tell my student a little bit about myself. We'll play a fun “get to know you” activity so I can get to know more about the student as well. By learning more about the student's interests, I will hopefully be able to use this information to make my lessons more interesting and applicable to the student. I'd like to talk to the student about their successes in school as well as their frustrations; this will help us make goals in what we'd like to work on and accomplish in our sessions together.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
When students struggle with reading comprehension, it's really important to first find a 'good fit' book. In other words, it's important to start with a book they're going to really be interested in. I often have students read aloud to me so they can practice fluency as well. As students read, I encourage them to stop and write their thoughts (this helps them keep track of what they're reading and helps me see if they're paying attention as they read). I also use a lot of graphic organizers, which are used to organize their thoughts as well. Graphic organizers often encourage students to think about setting, characters, plot, etc. Knowing how to find the elements of a story helps greatly with building strong reading comprehension skills.