1 of 7

Connect with hundreds of tutors like Devon

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 Devon, a tutor from Florida State University

Devon

Certified Tutor

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

I believe that learning, like the rest of life, is meant to be savored. I personally do not enjoy learning information that I find boring, so I've made it my life goal to find a way to make everything interesting. My goal as an educator and as a human being is to find the wonder and humor in everything that I learn and teach. I would love to share this experience with you. I've spent over ten years educating informally as well as professionally in environments which range from K-12 classrooms and higher education to the zoo. I graduated with accolades from Florida State University with a degree in Biology, focused in Zoology, and am currently working on an MS in Biological Sciences at Texas A&M University Commerce. I love learning, and I think that together, we can make sure that you do, too! Outside of school I have tutored adult ESL students and worked as an editor in a writing center.

Professionally, I worked for three years as an educator and keeper at the Fort Worth Zoo, bringing animals into classrooms and providing programming about them to the public. After working briefly as a science educator in Dallas, I began tutoring for Varsity tutors in subjects ranging from K-16 life sciences, mathematics, and ACT prep. For the past four years, I have worked as a program coordinator and educator, building hands-on STEM outreach programs and college-preparatory/remedial mathematics programs through federal grant projects in Dallas. I have personally reached over 10,000 students in the four years of my work with hands-on STEM programming, but my proudest accomplishments have been the bonds I've built with students who swear I've "converted" them to a life of STEM through our work together.

As your tutor, I'd like to get to know you, your learning style and how we can work as a team to help you to reach your academic goals. I believe that the first step to success is the power of knowledge and there is no concept too complex or dry to be digested by any person. The key to learning is all in the presentation! When I am not teaching, I like to train animals, have adventures, run trails, and write short stories. My vices include baked chips and sour punch straws. I can make a mean lasagna and my mother thinks that I am very funny. Let's get together, talk about how we can help you to achieve your academic goals and enjoy the journey as well!

Connect with a tutor like Devon

Devon’s Qualifications

Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: Florida State University - Bachelors, Biological Sciences

Test Scores

ACT English: 32

ACT English: 35

Hobbies

Reading, writing, swimming, animal training, eating candy, marine biology

Tutoring Subjects

3rd Grade Science

4th Grade Science

5th Grade Science

6th Grade Science

7th Grade Science

8th Grade Science

ACT Prep

ACT English

ACT Math

ACT Reading

ACT Science

ACT Writing

Anatomy

Anatomy & Physiology

AP Environmental Science

AP Psychology

Biology

Cell Biology

College Algebra

College Biology

Elementary School Science

Environmental Science

General Chemistry

Genetics

High School Biology

High School Chemistry

Life Sciences

Math

Middle School Science

Physiology

Plant Biology

Psychology

Science

Social Sciences

Test Prep

Writing

Zoology

Q & A

What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that no concept is too complex or dry to be grasped by an individual. The key to understanding is in the presentation of the information. In order for a subject to be grasped, it needs to be made personal to the student, it has to be funny, it has to click. I teach in the way that I enjoy learning; I relate the information to what I know and love (cats, food, people), and I try to do the same for the individuals that I teach. I like to get to know my students and then cater learning not only to their learning style but their lifestyle and personality.

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

The first thing that I like to do in a tutoring session is get to know the student and their goals. I can then make a plan as to what material to cover when, how in-depth to go, and how to make that material relevant to them. If there is a style of teaching that they know does not work for them, it's best to learn that from the get-go. It is also important to me to learn about the student personally, so that I can cater the way I teach to them. I want to know what is important to you personally so that I can work to make this information relevant to you, beyond a textbook or test. I like to build a friendly relationship with the people I teach because I find that a good rapport makes for a more trusting and powerful tutor-student relationship. I also like to set parameters for meeting times, when I can be reached and how to communicate with me for the convenience of myself and the student.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Helping a student to relate to the material that they are learning is a passion of mine. I think that if a student can find information that is relevant to their lives in their studies, they will be more connected and passionate not only about the subject but about learning in general.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I find that setting small, reasonable goals to build up to a big achievement is better than staring down a mountain of a pursuit. Let's take steps that are manageable in order to complete the journey, that way there are more successes to celebrate and more chances to check progress to make sure that all material is really being learned.

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

I enjoy the challenge of catering lessons to students, and that requires taking multiple approaches. For me, this means working through visual means, practicing problems/exams, and providing materials which make the skill or concept relevant to the student in their everyday life. I've written lessons entirely as visual concept maps, and have used pop culture (most notably Mean Girls and Internet memes) as a way of making learning fun and relevant.

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

Knowing the student's personal interests, skills and gaps in knowledge are the best way to address how to conquer a challenging subject. I find that beginning each lesson with a basic overview of the concepts, and then diving into specific details and putting them in the context of the big ideas and the student's life, is the best strategy for meeting academic goals.

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

I think that making subjects relevant to students by relating the subject to their interests and their lives is key to reaching their academic goals. I personally cannot learn if I am not engaged, so I enjoy personalizing lessons to make abstract concepts real and concrete ideas for my students. This can include relating information to sports, history, pop culture, food, animals, and other subjects that the student is learning.

Connect with a tutor like Devon