James
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of California-Santa Barbara - Bachelor of Fine Arts, Theater w/ English Minor
Graduate Degree: California Institute of Integral Studies - PHD, Human and Organizational Transformation
SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1510
SAT Math: 700
SAT Verbal: 750
SAT Writing: 750
hockey, basketball, meditation, live theater
American Literature
College English
College Level American History
College Level American Literature
College World History
Comparative Literature
Fiction Writing
High School English
High School Level American History
High School Level American Literature
High School World History
ISEE Prep
Shakespeare
Social Sciences
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
US History
Vocabulary
Voice
World History
World Literature
What is your teaching philosophy?
I think of myself as an academic coach. Sometimes I teach specific skill sets needed to master an academic subject, but often students need help with developing a winning psychology. Also, I find that there are many study skills (time management, study techniques, memorization skills) that need to be mastered in order to sustain high academic achievement.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Typically, in a first session, we'll spend a little brief time getting to know a little about each other. Then we will spend about ten minutes clarifying a student's goals for the session and for tutoring altogether. The rest of the time is usually spent on a specific and targeted lesson. We usually use the last few minutes to recap what we've done, and set some specific homework actions to be taken before the next session.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I always try to start by connecting the student to what they naturally find interesting. If I can rekindle a student's natural passion for learning, then everything becomes easier. If they learn how to 'reconnect' repeatedly during our work together, then eventually they will have a habit that allows them to reconnect to their natural curiosity as they go forward in their education. I also aim to give students specific study skills that make learning anything a more streamlined process.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I tend to continually talk to students about their goals and their 'why' - meaning, if they can connect to why good grades or good test scores matter, they tend to be able to move beyond the short term difficulty and feel connected to the long term pay off. Concurrently, I try to help them find some intrinsic pleasure in the process of learning, and the enjoyment of challenge and growth.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
My first step is usually to slow down and break the difficult skill into smaller pieces. Usually a student struggles because they are skipping steps or they failed to learn a concept from earlier in their education. So we slow down, break the difficult concept into small pieces, and then build from there.