Francis
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Washington University in St Louis - Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, Anthropology
Fencing, badminton, bicycling, cooking
Anatomy & Physiology
College Biology
College Chemistry
College Physics
MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
High School Biology
High School Chemistry
High School Physics
MCAT Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
MCAT Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Other
Summer
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know my student and his/her learning preferences, and establish a rapport.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Encourage them to take charge of their own learning, and teach them how to explain the concepts they learn back to me. Learning how to teach is a demonstration of mastery over the material.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Keep encouraging them and working with them at their own pace.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Figure out where the roadblock is and determine whether there is another way to explain it.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Figure out where their difficulties lie, and work with them at their own pace.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Learning how they process information and working to accommodate that preference, as well as getting to know them personally.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Drawing parallels to real-world uses for these concepts to illustrate their applications.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Having them teach the material back to me.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Frequent assessment of their understanding of the material, along with encouragement.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By getting a sense for what they want out of their education, and what they want to accomplish.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By determining what learning style they use.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use a lot of props for more abstract concepts.
What is your teaching philosophy?
To be my student's advocate as much as I am their tutor.