
Tracy
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Arizona - Current Undergrad, English Lit and Creative Writing
Graduate Degree: Pine Manor College - Current Grad Student, Creative Writing
Reading, writing, art, my dogs.
College English
Comparative Literature
High School English
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By helping them to expand their understanding of and interest in their subject matter.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would try to approach the skill or concept from a different angle.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
By helping them to increase their vocabulary and lead them to reading materials they are eager to connect with.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Listening, listening, listening, and observing and strengthening the student's own natural learning strategies.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
By introducing them to other aspects of the subject that they might not be aware of, and encouraging their own exploration of the subject by such methods as further reading or internet research.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Successful encounters with the subject, be it reading material or math problems, build confidence. I would focus on these encounters during our tutoring session.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By listening and observing a student's natural learning strategies.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By listening to the student's needs.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Additional reading materials and reference materials--and my smart phone!
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe the purpose of a teacher is to lead the student to their own set of answers.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know the student, their interests, hobbies, subjects they enjoy in school, and how they like to learn: visually, aurally, or kinesthetically.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By providing encounters with the subject matter and encouraging students to find their own answers.