Patrick
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo - Bachelor of Science, Business Administration and Management
SAT Math: 720
Basketball, football, video games, watching TV, hanging out with friends
10th Grade Math
11th Grade Math
8th Grade Math
9th Grade Math
What is your teaching philosophy?
I love to make sure that students are the most prepared they can be for whatever subject I am teaching. I try to use as many practice problems as possible, as I believe that the more practice, the better for the student. I try to explain concepts and solutions to the students on the most basic level. That way they can easily understand how to solve the problem.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Introduce myself and my experience. Ask about their current situation in life in an effort to get to know them better (i.e. what they are doing over the summer, what they enjoy doing, etc.). Then proceed to teach them a lesson or two about the subject at hand.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I will teach my student different study skills and habits that I found to be the most successful.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would most likely include a motivational aspect of my tutor sessions, whether it be snacks, homework-free nights, etc., that would only be obtained through achieving a certain goal that was already agreed upon beforehand by the student and I.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would try to break it down into its most simplest form, and try to explain it as simply as possible. I would also try to find different methods to solve the problem.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I would give them extra reading as homework, and make them write book reports about the books that they choose to read. I would give them tips on reading comprehension, such as writing a quick one-line summary for each paragraph read that would help them easily remember what the passage was about.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Adapting to the student's learning style and ability, making sure that the student is following along nicely, and mixing a bit of fun in with learning.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Try to relate it to something that they find more enjoyable.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would give them extra practice problems, assign them homework, make them explain their solution to any practice problems, and test/quiz them.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
With more practice. For me, I have found that with the more practice I got, the more confident I become in my ability to solve any problem relating to the subject at hand.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I would most likely have them take a pretest at first, or directly ask them what they need me to teach them.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I will focus more of my time on the parts that my student is struggling with. However, I will also make sure to go back and touch-up on the concepts that the student already knows well.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Workbooks, example problems, pencils, calculator.