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Susanna

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I grew up in Latin America and then lived 20 years in South Asia, which has made me aware of different ways of seeing the world. These experiences have given me a great interest in how learning happens and supplied me with lots of methods and tools for that process. I enjoy tutoring because you can create more personalized learning solutions and because you and the student are on a learning journey together.

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Susanna’s Qualifications

Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: Columbia International University - Bachelors, Religious Studies

Hobbies

Reading Science fiction and fantasy, Nature Walks, Ethnic food.

Tutoring Subjects

ACCUPLACER ESL

ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension

ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills

College English

COMPASS Reading

English

ESL/ELL

GED Prep

High School English

Other

Phonics

Reading

Social Studies

Special Education

Study Skills

Study Skills and Organization

Test Prep

World Religions

Q & A

What is your teaching philosophy?

My goal is to help students connect with the material in ways that work for them. The brain wants to learn and remember, so I work to find ways for that to happen faster and last longer. I was often bored in school; that makes me a more creative teacher. I am very focused on progress, but I think we should have fun while we are getting there!

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

I come in believing in their capability and that I will learn along with them. I express the challenge of our learning journey in positive terms. I try to find some task in the first session that they can do successfully, so that motivation can build.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

Find out what their interests are. Find out what they find hard about the subject we are going to work on. Create a story together with the student about the learning journey we are beginning.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Stimulating them to be curious about the material and to ask their own questions about it. Helping them to apply the material to their life so that they are more motivated to pursue it on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Projecting confidence that they can meet this learning challenge. Presenting the material in different ways, not just going over it again in the same way. Try to discover the reason for the lack of motivation and address that.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

Try another approach to the same material. Change the format in how we are working with it. Use more activities, but for shorter periods of time.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

Find out what the source of the problem is, whether anxiety, vocabulary or reading fluency, and then adjust our activities to focus on the needed skill. Provide a variety of ways to work with the material until I find what works best for them.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

Try to identify why they find that subject difficult and address those concerns. Find connections between the material and their life or their goals.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

Avoid repeating the same format. Use different types of quizzing techniques besides written quizzes, such as drawing a picture of the material or spotting the mistake when it is presented incorrectly.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

Finding a task they can do successfully. Helping them see that their track record is more important than one quiz or grade. Looking for resources or different formats where they might connect with the material better and be more successful.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Listening. Watching what method or format they enjoy. Trying different approaches and seeing what seems to work best for them.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

By listening, watching and evaluating each session to see how the next one can be better. Some students need more structure; others need a more creative approach. I enjoy the challenge of trying to provide a good mix of tasks and formats for a particular student.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

I start off with seeing what they are working on and what they need to turn in next. Usually I will create reinforcement activities, which help me to see if they are really engaging with the material. My focus is on what will make the material 'stick,' not on how fast they can do something.

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