
Sean
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Stevenson University - Bachelors, Biology, General
SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1400
SAT Verbal: 700
Reading, hiking, nature
College Biology
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
High School Biology
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe in keeping my students engaged with a fun and personable teaching style.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a first session, I like to get to know the student better, gauge their current understanding of the material, and find out their learning style.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I like to give students the opportunity to be involved in the teaching part of my tutoring sessions, so that they can learn how to solve problems independently and critically.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
If a student is losing motivation, I sometimes take a short break from the material to help them reduce stress and get back on target.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Sometimes taking a step back from a particularly tough concept helps; other times, I like to try a different approach, usually by incorporating visuals or making the session more hands-on.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Breaking it down sentence-by-sentence is a good place to start. After that, it's about looking for words you understand and using that context to make sense of what you don't.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
When I first start with a student, I like to take note of their learning style, whether it be tactile, visual, or auditory, and incorporate that into my work with that student.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Relating a tough concept to the real world and to simpler, everyday concepts that the student is familiar with and has an interest in, can sometimes make that concept more engaging.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I frequently ask my students to take on the role of teacher, and to explain the concepts we covered that day back to me, as a way of checking their understanding.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
If a student is struggling with one concept, I sometimes ask them to explain simpler, related concepts that I know they understand, so that they feel more confident in their knowledge on the subject and can use their prior knowledge to help understand a larger idea.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
During the first few sessions, I evaluate the student's needs based on their understanding of the material, the concepts they need assistance with, and the teaching styles they respond to.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
If a student has a good understanding of the material, I focus more on study methods and how to apply that understanding. If they are a visual learner, I will use more visuals than if they are an auditory learner. If they respond better to hands-on learning, I may have them create the visuals.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Textbooks as a reference source, the student's notes as a way of identifying their teacher's methods, and a whiteboard or paper and pen for drawing visuals, are all materials I rely on.