Cathy: Lower East Side tutor
Certified Tutor
What is the difference between a artisan-made pizza vs. store-bought pizza, between, your grand-ma's apple pie vs the one you buy, a French cheese made in France vs made anywhere in the world but in France? The depth of flavors, the "savoir-faire", the authenticity.
I was born and raised in France and came in the US. to earn a doctoral degree in Engineering. Since I love learning, I earned advanced degrees in Engineering ( most of them from France). Since I love teaching, I have been tutoring and/or formally teaching children, college students and professionals for more than a decade.
I love teaching French - my mother tongue- not only via the mechanics of it -grammar, pronunciation etc-, but also via the culture. A lot of the soul of French language, the authentic expressions that we use in French are rooted in the culture: that's why we natives master them and non-native don't really.
I also enjoy teaching the basics of engineering: algebra, calculus, trigonometry etc.
Learning should to be fun and interesting! Once I establish what type of learner you are (visual, auditory, kinesthetic etc) , I provide tailored and interactive tutoring sessions to fit your particular learning style and needs. I have a solid professional experience in academia -I was a university professor- and in industry -I work as an engineer- so I can easily connect whatever you are learning in class to real-life examples. I have a strong and broad educational background (engineering, medicine etc ), thus I can share with you tips on how to prepare for and pass tests with calm, confidence...and flying colors.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Orleans France - Bachelors, Computer Science
Graduate Degree: University of Rhode Island - PHD, Electrical Engineering
Running, hicking, latin dance, drawing mandalas
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning should be fun and interesting! Once I establish what type of learner you are (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.), I provide tailored and interactive tutoring sessions to fit your particular learning style and needs. I have a solid professional experience in academia and in industry, so I can easily connect whatever you are learning in class to real-life examples. I have a strong and broad educational background; thus, I can share with you tips on how to prepare for and pass tests with calm, confidence...and flying colors.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I will get to know you! I want to know 1)what do you like to do for fun? -I might use that later as teaching material- 2) why do YOU think you need tutoring (build confidence, just can't get this particular teacher, etc.)? 3)how do you learn: are you a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner, or a combination of all?
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Independence comes with confidence. Do you believe you can learn it on your own? Can you identify your limitations? Can you seek help when and where you need it? I know; I have been there!!!
How would you help a student stay motivated?
What is your final goal? To please your parents, to beat Joe, to just pass the class, to master the class, etc.? YOU tell me and we build the road together to get there.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Identify the root cause of the difficulty: 1) do you just hate the stuff (very common)? 2) do you have difficulty with the teacher/professor? 3) do you have weak basics?
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Build the reading skills and the vocabulary, and reduce the anxiety around reading...add some fun to relax the student.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Getting to know the person (hobbies, learning styles), being flexible, etc.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
What is the final goal of the student? To please your parents, beat Joe, just pass the class, or master the topic? Depending on the final goal, we establish a map to success. Often we stay engaged when we have a clear goal or when we know WHY we are studying the particular topic. The "Why" could be tied up to a short-term goal or a bigger picture: "no really, why am I studying calculus?" To answer the bigger picture, I relate it to real-life examples (engineering, finance, etc.).
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
"Teach it back to me with your own words". Pretend I don't know anything about the topic: can you teach it back to me? I usually ask all kinds of questions as the student teaches it back to me to assess the depth of understanding.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Ensure we have great basics first. Expand the knowledge and use problems that are basics at first and more elaborate later to build the mastery. Confidence comes from clear and deep understanding as well as practice (mastery).
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
3 ways: 1)Ask the students directly -subjective evaluation-. 2)Ask the parents if they are involved -mix of subjective and objective evaluations-. If no parents are involved, I like to see the grades. 3)Evaluate the student myself -objective evaluation.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
There are 2 aspects in my adaption: the first aspect is based on the character of the student, his/her learning style, the topic, the goals, the difficulties we have identified, etc. The second aspect is based on "today's mood": is the student tired, depressed, annoyed, or just not in the mood to study the way we usually do?
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Again, it all comes down to the learning styles. I have used everything from: short movies, to games, to real life experiments -kinesthetic learning- etc.