Sarah
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: College of the Holy Cross - Bachelor in Arts, French, Psychology
Graduate Degree: University of Wisconsin Madison - Masters, French Studies
SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1540
SAT Math: 730
SAT Verbal: 780
SAT Writing: 750
Language, music, cooking, food, travel
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
AP French Language and Culture
College English
Comparative Literature
Conversational French
High School English
SAT Subject Test in French
SAT Subject Test in French with Listening
SAT Subject Tests Prep
Social Sciences
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a typical first session with a student, I might get to know the student by asking more questions about his/her interests, goals, learning style, and what has and hasn't worked in the past. I would also tell the student a little bit more about myself and how I like to tutor. Then, depending on the student's needs, we would typically work through a few initial practice problems to get an idea of our starting point.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
In tutoring, I like to encourage a student to answer a question on his/her own before I jump in to answer it for them. If the student feels stuck, I like to guide them by asking them what they already know about this topic/question, or how we have worked through this type of problem in the past.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
French is one of my favorite subjects to teach, because there is so much more to French language and culture than the verb conjugations and grammar that most students dread! I help to get students excited by connecting language skills with the greater cultural context in which they exist. With literature or writing, this might involve finding a writing topic that the student is passionate about or a particular passage that the student connects to.