Nadja
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: BA - Bachelor in Arts, Art History
Graduate Degree: University of Chicago - Master of Arts, Art History/Humanities
history, writing, languages
Art History
College English
College Geography
College Level American History
Elementary School Math
High School English
High School Geography
High School Level American History
SAT Subject Test in Literature
SAT Subject Test in United States History
SAT Subject Test in World History
SAT Subject Tests Prep
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
What is your teaching philosophy?
I have seen wonderful subjects drained dry by monotonous and lackluster teaching. My philosophy is to only teach subjects you have a passion for and you enjoy sharing with others. I think bringing in visuals, primary sources, anecdotes, contextual contemporary sources and arts, interdisciplinary overlaps, and clearly defined timelines helps build a richer anchor for work in the humanities. I love to break down ideas and language together and explore underlying assumptions and nuances that will help students have a more complex engagement with a subject and more to refer to in testing.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would gauge their knowledge level, attention span, strengths, weaknesses, and learning style through trying out slightly different approaches and seeing what they responded to. I would do an overview of what we will be working on and firmly contextualize it.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Encouraging students not to be nervous-- to slow down, look up things they don't know, look closer, and relax is a useful start for independent learning.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I think short quizzes in the midst of a lesson help them stay on their toes and make sure they are listening and following. Incorporating games and music, art, and literature into lessons helps connect them to something that they can enjoy, even if the subject is not their favorite.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
A big part of this is just nerves. Helping them realize they should slow down, breaking down paragraphs for their purpose and meaning along the way, and constantly refer to each paragraph's purpose within the larger work can start to clarify it.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Quizzes, games, and asking them to continually explain things back to me and give me examples are extremely effective techniques.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Scaffolding questions so that they can get some right at the beginning as they build into harder ones helps them start off with a boost of confidence.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I always bring my laptop so I can quickly pull up a picture, video, map, graphic, etc.