Devan
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of California-Berkeley - Bachelors, French
Globe-trotting, painting & sketching, running, yoga, salsa dancing, fashion designing, reading on café patios
What is your teaching philosophy?
My philosophy is engagement. If students have a reason to invest in learning, they will absorb more information, quicker! Making learning applicable and engaging is what drives the thirst to learn more and to develop skills. For me, it's knowing that through foreign language, I can share with and be exposed to that many more people in the world, talking, exchanging ideas, and learning.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Whenever a student can't grasp a concept, I try to relate it to something they do know. That way they can feel like they have a footing, some base that they can jump from.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Anything that is engaging. So that could be question/answer discussion without looking at text, just a simple discussion (always in the language). It could also be writing something out and going over it to understand written grammatical structure. I believe that any concept should reinforced by using it in practice.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
It's all a learning process. Being open and communicative is key. Some people like routines, others need rewards to keep motivated. I work with parents as well as students to make sure I have a full understanding of the needs, and how to accommodate them.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I usually work with materials provided by the student (textbooks, workbooks, etc.) I also like to supplement with articles and other reading material that we can go through for vocabulary, reading comprehension and discussion.