
Andrew
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Syracuse University - Bachelors, Spanish
Graduate Degree: Texas State University-San Marcos - Masters, Spanish
I like spending time with my four daughters and playing the guitar and piano.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that making language learning fun motivates students and makes the language learning process less intimidating.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would start off by determining the goal of the session. This could range from focusing on a specific grammar concept to learning the language in general.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
With learning Spanish, I could teach a student how to use the many online resources that are available. I also know a few tricks and strategies that have helped me become fluent in Spanish.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would vary the activities to keep it interesting, and I would set specific goals so the student would know that he or she is working towards something attainable.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would break down the concept and reteach it until the student understood. That may require presenting it in a couple of different ways.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I teach them how to get the gist of what they are reading by identifying key words to look up.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I see where the student is at in terms of verb conjugation and work from there.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would find out what the student is interested in and try to relate the material to that.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would use short quizzes like the student may see in class.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Each day I would point out that the student understood an aspect of the language that he didn't know the previous day.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I sit with the student and talk about what the goal is for the session or overall and work from there.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
If a student is really struggling I will go back and reteach key areas of grammar.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use paper and a pencil, the internet, textbooks and videos.