
Caitlyn
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: St Joseph's College - Bachelor in Arts, Child Study
Graduate Degree: St. John's University - Master of Science, Literacy
State Certified Teacher
Travel, outdoor activities, beach, reading
College English
Comparative Literature
Elementary School Math
High School English
Other
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I like to get to know more about my student. I find out about their interests and talk to them about their own personal concerns, and also find their strengths as well. I like to get to know my student as an individual person, and not just a "fifth grader" or "online student." Often I will give baseline assessments to see if I notice trends in their work to find areas to develop.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I like to scaffold students in sessions, so that by the end they are completing a majority of the work independently. This also helps boosts confidence, which is also important to encourage independent learning. Giving extra practice as an extension to what we worked on helps the student become an independent worker as well.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I like to prepare lessons that are as exciting and engaging as possible. I try to incorporate students' interests wherever I can (i.e. in reading passage selections). Often, at the end of my sessions, I will include a topic-related educational game or online activity if they complete all of their session work.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Repetition sometimes can be key in helping a student learn a skill or concept. I would repeat the work with them on various problems or activities, scaffolding them throughout to make sure they are understanding the topic. I would also find visual aids, such as online videos, to help support learning and have the student hear the skill or concept from a different perspective.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
As a literacy certified teacher, I know there are many areas that build reading comprehension. I break apart comprehension into those areas (such as setting, characters, predictions, etc.) and find areas of strength and weakness in each session. If it is an area of weakness, we will work together to develop strategies using passages and real-life reading. Students would also be encouraged to read daily for extra practice.