Teaching, in all its various forms, has been the most important job I have ever had. Whether I stood in front of a classroom, graded a paper at home, or worked with a student one-on-one, I have always found value in seeing someone progress in their work. This includes my time as a history/music/theater teacher as well as my personal time teaching private guitar/mandolin lessons. The only important factor for me was if the student improved. However, it did not start out that way. In college, I often studied in groups so that we could teach one another the material. I always felt that was the best way to internalize and comprehend difficult material - to teach it to someone who does not understand as clearly as I might.

Moreover, my work experience extends to a wide variety of students. In the past, I have helped students with learning disabilities to students who just need an extra push when it comes to studying. Although each student is different and I have had to adapt different approaches to certain students, I believe each case was a chance for me to learn more about how people learn and understand difficult material. Even in the classroom, I have had to adjust certain reading passages for certain students, change styles of lecture (powerpoint, reading material), and even adjust assignment levels based on the student. Yet in the long run, these changes have shaped me more as a teacher and a learner.

Not only is tutoring a great way for me to help students learn their material, but it would help me to stay on my toes and be a better student as well. I have found in the past that if I am teaching a student, whether it is guitar or history, I always seem to improve my efforts in my own scholastic life in addition to my skills as a tutor.