1 of 7

Connect with hundreds of tutors like Michael

Expert tutoring for students at all levels

150,000+ clients. 4.9 / 5.0 Rating of Tutoring Sessions

Who needs a tutor?
How soon do you need tutoring?
What is your name?
What is your zip code?
What is your email address?
What is your phone number?
Featured by
Tutors from
A photo of Michael, a tutor from University of California-Santa Barbara

Michael

Certified Tutor

Call us today to connect with a top tutor
(888) 888-0446

Given my vast experience teaching students of all ages and levels (including ESL students), I believe wholeheartedly that I would be an ideal fit as your tutor. With a B.A. in English and Philosophy, as well as a M.Div. from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena (where I taught, as well), I've been fortunate to empower a fluid and natural understanding of writing, English, social studies, philosophy, SAT/ACT test prep, math through geometry, and even foreign language for multiple institutions, having a strongly holistic view of life and education. The bottom line? I just really want you to do well.

Connect with a tutor like Michael

Michael’s Qualifications

Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: University of California-Santa Barbara - Bachelor in Arts, English

Undergraduate Degree: University of California-Santa Barbara - Bachelor in Arts, Philosophy

Graduate Degree: Fuller Seminary - Masters, Divinity

Hobbies

Poetry, singing, science fiction, history, philosophy, politics, social commentary.

Tutoring Subjects

10th Grade Reading

10th Grade Writing

11th Grade Reading

11th Grade Writing

12th Grade Reading

12th Grade Writing

1st Grade Reading

1st Grade Writing

2nd Grade Reading

2nd Grade Writing

3rd Grade Reading

3rd Grade Science

3rd Grade Writing

4th Grade Reading

4th Grade Science

4th Grade Writing

5th Grade Reading

5th Grade Science

5th Grade Writing

6th Grade Reading

6th Grade Science

6th Grade Writing

7th Grade Reading

7th Grade Science

7th Grade Writing

8th Grade Reading

8th Grade Science

8th Grade Writing

9th Grade Reading

9th Grade Writing

ACT English

ACT Reading

ACT Science

ACT Writing

Adult Literacy

Advertising

American Literature

AP US Government

AP US History

British Literature

College English

College Essays

College Level American Literature

College World History

Comparative Literature

Creative Writing

Elementary School Reading

Elementary School Science

Elementary School Writing

English

English Grammar and Syntax

ESL/ELL

Essay Editing

Ethics

Expository Writing

Fiction Writing

German

Gifted

Government

Greek

High School Chemistry

High School English

High School Level American Literature

High School World History

High School Writing

Homework Support

Honors

Introduction to Fiction

Journalism

Literature

Middle School Reading

Middle School Science

Middle School Writing

Other

Persuasive Writing

Philosophy

Poetry

Poetry Writing

Political Science

PSAT Critical Reading

PSAT Writing Skills

Psychology

Public Speaking

Reading

SAT Reading

SAT Writing and Language

Shakespeare

Short Novel

Social Sciences

Social Studies

Study Skills

Study Skills and Organization

Summer

Test Prep

US Constitutional History

US History

Vocabulary

World Civilization

World History

World Literature

World Religions

Writing

Q & A

What is your teaching philosophy?

I think that motivation is the most important feature a successful teacher should have. Children have shorter attention spans, so if the teacher carries a careless attitude towards students, then they will not have much success learning. An excellent instructor should also have his/her students' trust. An example would be encouraging them to ask questions, after all, children have very curious minds. The teacher should also let students know that there are no dumb questions. I know that when I was in elementary school, I was very shy to ask questions, but when my grade school teachers assured me that there was no such thing as a dumb question, that eliminated some of my insecurity. Inadvertently, whether the teacher realizes this or not, it can gain the students' trust to come to him/her for anything. The final trait of a successful teacher, if not the most important trait, is to have passion for teaching. If one is in the field to get the summers and weekends off, or thinks that teaching is an easy job, success is a pipe-dream. There is a huge difference between having to be in the classroom versus wanting to be in it. Without passion, not only are we torturing ourselves and wasting our time, we are prohibiting the young generation from learning.

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

I believe that understanding is key to any educational success. This means not only making sure the student understands the work ahead of them in the first session, but also making sure I as the tutor understand the student: who they are and how they learn best. I want to partner with my students so that they understand from the beginning that we are in this together.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The most important facets of independent learning are encouraging the student's curiosities based on their own interests, encouraging questions from the students, and guiding the student to a correct form of learning through any steps that the student may feel natural.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Cheerfulness, quirky humor, and consistent insight into their progress are just a few of the ways I help students stay motivated!

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

I would first make sure that the student and I are on the same page regarding said concept. Once that is established, drawing analogous parallels with which the student has already expressed interest is the most entertaining and efficient way to guide a student through a concept step-by-step.

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

We work together through a variety of sensory exercises. Auditory/visual stimulation and imagination of concepts are usually key to understanding anything in a passage. In addition, it is important not to burden a student with more than they can handle; to that end, "big picture" focus is important until details can be gained by the reader's attention.

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

Questions, questions, questions! This means not only asking questions of the students, but entertaining their own topical questions as well.

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

This is easy: prior interests! For example, if a student were struggling with geometric concepts, we might engage the student's prior interest in, say, baseball, to visualize the relevant shapes involved in a question.

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

Again, questions are absolutely paramount for issues such as this one. Questions not only engage the student, they also allow the student to realize what they do know and what they do not. Questions also keep the student from experiencing power-tripping shame or rapid correctional shock from others.

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

We work together to move through a subject step-by-step, concept-by-concept, and question-by-question. Moving at a student's comfortable pace, we encourage progress wherever it occurs, and tie it to relevant interests to keep the knowledge fresh and desirable.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Many times, a student's needs can be evaluated based on direct questions posed to the student in a relaxed manner. Oftentimes, however, the voicing of needs is not so forthright; in these times, outward displays and visual cues (for example, in body language when asked about a certain concept) can bring valuable insight.

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

Simply put: a student's needs are matched quickly and responsively to tutoring methods. We might also call this "flexibility." For example, if a student is having trouble when being asked questions about a concept, it might be best to quickly move into demonstrating a simple example visually, then progressing to more difficult facets of the concept in question.

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

It is paramount that a student be encouraged to engage any class-relevant materials first. This is because however well we may understand a concept, if an authority such as a teacher expects us to base it on their own class material, our understanding may fall short of expectation and be a waste of the student's time, not to mention disheartening for the student later. Apart from that, generally speaking, materials necessary for such things as illustrations, examples, anecdotes, colorful demonstrations, visual displays, etc., are used.

Connect with a tutor like Michael