
Evan
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Walla Walla University - Bachelors, Communications
Reading, writing, cooking, video games, comics, movies, animation and tv shows.
College English
College Geography
College Level American History
High School English
High School Geography
High School Level American History
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Through positive reinforcement, and by showing the student how much they're improving one can help them be motivated to try harder.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Show them a different way to learn it; perhaps explain it in simpler terms or even find a way to connect it to something they enjoy.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Firstly I would find what they enjoy. Are they a fan of Sci-Fi? Maybe comic book movies or characters? The world is full of great reading material. One only needs to look. From there I would read with them and talk about what they read. After that you could move to weekly reading assignments and reports on what they read.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
You definitely want to get to know the student and what they like and what they're all about. By finding a connection between yourself and your student you can create a much better teaching relationship.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Find a part of that subject that holds some similarities to things they enjoy. Having trouble with history with a student that loves sports? Perhaps get into it through sports history and the roles sports has played in creating history.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Reviews for sure. Asking them what they learned and asking them to tell me key points from the subject.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
By showing them their progress and their improvement through positive reinforcement.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By thoroughly talking with the student about where they have the most trouble in the most understanding way possible.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Everyone is different, so it depends on the student. If a tutor cannot adapt to a student’s needs then they are not a tutor. I find what the student needs the most from me and work from there.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Technology is great and can be a great help, but I still like books. I'd like to work with the student using their own schoolbooks to help them with the class that they are struggling in. If reading is involved then novels and the like will definitely be used with the parents’ approval. For geography, Google maps is probably the best tool.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Find what your student loves and find a way to teach the subject around that. Connect with your student through their interests and make learning fun.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would definitely want to take time to get to know them and what they're about, and what they're having trouble with. Explore what their interests are and how to implement those into lessons.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By showing them that learning can be fun and how it will help them in the future. Also by showing them their own progress and how much they've been learning.