T'helah
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: CUNY Lehman College - Bachelor in Arts, African & African American Studies
Writing, teaching & learning Hebrew, traveling, cooking, baking, and spending time with family.
10th Grade Math
10th Grade Reading
10th Grade Writing
11th Grade Math
11th Grade Reading
11th Grade Writing
12th Grade Math
12th Grade Reading
12th Grade Writing
1st Grade
1st Grade Math
1st Grade Reading
1st Grade Writing
2nd Grade
2nd Grade Math
2nd Grade Reading
2nd Grade Writing
3rd Grade
3rd Grade Math
3rd Grade Reading
3rd Grade Science
3rd Grade Writing
4th Grade
4th Grade Math
4th Grade Reading
4th Grade Writing
5th Grade
5th Grade Math
5th Grade Reading
5th Grade Writing
6th Grade
6th Grade Math
6th Grade Reading
6th Grade Writing
7th Grade
7th Grade Math
7th Grade Reading
7th Grade Writing
8th Grade
8th Grade Math
8th Grade Reading
8th Grade Writing
9th Grade Math
9th Grade Reading
9th Grade Writing
ACCUPLACER Arithmetic
ACCUPLACER College-Level Math
ACCUPLACER Elementary Algebra
ACCUPLACER ESL
ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension
ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills
Adult Literacy
African History
African-American History
Algebra 3/4
ASPIRE Math
CLEP College Algebra
CLEP College Mathematics
College English
COMPASS Mathematics
COMPASS Reading
COMPASS Writing Skills
Elementary Algebra
Elementary School
Elementary School Math
Elementary School Reading
Elementary School Science
Elementary School Writing
Hebrew
High School English
High School Writing
Homeschool
Homework Support
ISEE Prep
Middle School Reading
Middle School Writing
Other
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
A typical first session for me begins with a conversation. I want to hear from you what issues you're having in whatever subject(s) we will work on, what your preferred learning style is, and anything else that you think would be helpful. If you have already set goals for yourself, whether short-term or long-term, I would love for you to tell me about those too. After getting to know you a little bit, my next step would be to select some problems/questions in your trouble areas, and have you walk me through your thought process as you solve the problems or address the questions. By doing this, it will help me identify both your strengths and weaknesses, and I can develop a learning plan and strategy that's tailored to you. I'll discuss my ideas with you and talk a little bit about my tutoring style and how I envision us working together. Once we are in agreement, we can set objectives to measure your progress over time. It's also important for me to set expectations in that first session. I am very flexible and understanding. As a former college student, I'm no stranger to last-minute papers, but I am only human, and there is only so much that can be accomplished within a tight time frame. Thus, when it comes to research papers or other extensive assignments, I ask that my students plan accordingly to allow me the time needed to provide them with the best assistance possible. With that being said, I can usually extend a session an extra hour or two if needed, as long as it doesn't become a regular occurrence.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I have a very "teach a man to fish" approach to tutoring, meaning that my focus is to make sure that you understand concepts and processes, rather than me just giving you the answers. I won't leave you stranded, of course - I'm here to help you, not frustrate you - but in my tutoring sessions, my goal is to get you to master the information so that you no longer need my assistance and can apply what you've learned going forward. Say, for instance, your assignment is to factor polynomials, and you've made a number of errors in several of the problems. Instead of telling you what the mistakes are or solving the problems for you, I will pick one polynomial for us to factor together. I'll ask you at each step what you think you should do, and why, to check for understanding. When we reach a step you're either not sure about or are doing incorrectly, I will explain it at your pace, until we've factored the polynomial. We'll then do another problem, with you taking the lead and explaining each step just like we did the first time. This method of tutoring will help you become an independent learner as you master your subject matter and develop transferable skills.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I think setting session objectives and short-term goals goes a long way in helping students stay motivated. It can be hard to see progress over time, so being able to remind a student of their achievements can help give them the push they need to continue. I love the quote "Strive for progress, not perfection," and it's a great reminder for frustrated students to step back and acknowledge that while they may not be where they want to be academically, they are certainly on the right path and will get there. I also make it a habit to highlight positive changes or improvements that I see, no matter how small it might seem; hearing meaningful praise will often motivate a student to continue those behaviors and work even harder. It's been my experience that for younger or more easily frustrated students, taking a few breaks throughout the tutoring session can help them stay focused and motivated; every 15-20 minutes, or after each homework assignment, they can stretch, get some water, or tell me a story about something fun they did or watched to get them relaxed and refreshed. Last, but certainly not least, I communicate often and openly with my students because I want them to feel comfortable telling me if they're feeling discouraged or having a bad day, and we can talk through their feelings. Sometimes, all a student needs to stay motivated is a listening and compassionate ear, and that is something I definitely strive to provide.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, my priorities would be to simplify the information as much as possible, and provide visual aids, such as charts, diagrams, or pictures. Depending on the material, we could also break it up into parts, and spend blocks of time just mastering the individual steps, before putting them all together. I’ve also found that relating the skill or concept to the student’s personal life, or providing real-world examples, often aids in comprehension, so I would make the information feel as “real” as possible. Practice makes progress, so it’s also important that the student is given plenty of opportunities to apply the skill until it becomes intuitive.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
My first step would be to have the student read a passage and then explain to me whatever they remember: main ideas, characters, quotes, etc. That will help me better understand the struggle; maybe the student doesn't know where to focus, or can't remember anything after the first or before the last line, or the vocabulary is unfamiliar to them, or they have trouble understanding tone. My next step would be to ask the student questions about the passage, to see if they're able to recall or explain anything additional. I would tailor my instruction based on the results of these informal assessments. For instance, if vocabulary is an issue, then we'll work on using context clues to make an inference, along with expanding word knowledge. If the struggle comes from not knowing what to focus us, strategies would include reviewing questions before reading the passage, stopping after every sentence or two to quickly process the information, and learning to identify the 'who/what/where/why' in each paragraph.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
The subjects that I tutor in are all subjects I'm excited about, and I have an infectious personality! I have a real can-do attitude when it comes to academics, and I project this onto my students because I don't believe that current performance defines what a student is capable of. I also like to show students how the material they're learning relates to real life, and I help them see how improving in that subject will help them with their overall academic and life goals.