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Michael

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I have 2 Master's degrees from Oxford University and a BA in Biology from Williams College. I am interested in tutoring because I believe that the tutorial setting is the best possible teaching setting, one which allows students the time and space to express their interest in and understanding of course material, and the tutorial allows the tutor to identify potential weaknesses in understanding. It is this face to face interaction that helps students to gain confidence in their abilities and to think on their feet, and these skills are important even beyond the particular course material.

My specialty subjects are in the natural sciences, but I am also capable of working as a writing tutor, having had extensive writing experience in my education.

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Michael’s Qualifications

Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: Williams College - Bachelors, Biology (concentration in Neuroscience)

Graduate Degree: Oxford University - Masters, Global Health and Medical Anthropology (2 Masters degrees)

Test Scores

GRE Quantitative: 167

GRE Verbal: 163

Hobbies

I enjoying playing soccer ( I played for Oxford), learning about different subjects, and studying nutrition.

Q & A

What is your teaching philosophy?

The teacher/tutor is there to help guide the students' learning. Long-term, this is best achieved by teaching students how to think through a problem, rather than to simply pass along new information/facts. The tutorial setting is an ideal way to work on critical thinking skills, as students are challenged to respond in real time to the tutor's questions. This process is also helpful for building students' confidence, as they become more capable of thinking on their feet with practice.

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

It is important to establish a level of trust and comfort between the tutor and student in the first session. This may take some time getting to know each other, and then we would proceed to laying out clear objectives for the tutorials going forward. We would discuss how we are going to meet these objectives together so that both tutor and student have the same expectations.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The tutorial allows the tutor to help the student think through problems in real time. What is learned in this process, therefore, is how to think, not simply the acquisition of facts. With enough practice, the student will learn how to approach a problem and to gain confidence in knowing they are capable of thinking on their own. This self-belief must be developed intrinsically, it cannot be given.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Students often feel frustration when they are not having success. Therefore, the key in helping a student to feel a sense of accomplishment can begin by acknowledging what they are capable of and good at, and to take difficulty in a subject less personally. They also need to know they are not alone in their struggle, and that the tutor is just as invested in their success as they are. Building on small successes is a start, and it is also important to identify potential distractions that may be causing their concerns, for example if they are having problems in the classroom with other students.

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

There really is no substitute for practice. For some subjects, the first step is trying to teach the thinking process applied to that concept, for example how to approach a math problem, which tends to have certain necessary strategies needed to get the answer. Or in for example a biology problem, starting with a more simplified version of a biological process can be useful so the student understands the PROCESS first, and then the details can be built upon this scaffolding. Overwhelming with too much detail can make things more challenging than necessary.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

Particularly in the digital age, it can be a challenge for anyone to stay focused on reading material for extended periods of time. However, this is an essential skill on standardized tests and also in life. I would begin by giving the student excerpts from online articles, and asking them to summarize those articles. This can be done with very small passages at first, and then expanded as their ability improves. Building upon these small victories can generate positive momentum.

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

The most essential part of the tutorial is having a positive relationship with the student. When I was teaching in Match Corps, many of my students had behavioral issues, which would make teaching impossible. We needed to first have a mutual understanding that I was interested in their success and that I was not challenging their self-worth or making them embarrassed in front of their peers. Students tend to be more willing to listen and to appreciate teachers when they know that the teacher has their best interest in mind. Even the most challenging students are normally very good kids and simply need support.

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

Making a challenging subject more relevant is one way to generate interest. Sometimes the way questions are posed can make them seem irrelevant or boring. Coming up with new types of questions could help the student see the subject in a new light.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

Short, non-invasive assessments should be given periodically to ensure that the student is keeping up with and retaining the material. These brief "review sessions" can make sure progress is continuing and is important for the tutor to know whether their teaching is having an effect.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

As an athlete, I know that the best way to build confidence is through some measure of success. That is why it is important that the student can experience some level of success in a subject, perhaps through simplifying problems, in order to generate momentum. When they know they can do some amount, they can feel more prepared to tackle the next step.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

One of the objectives in the first session is to identify what the student expects to get from the tutorial, and we would then discuss how we are going to be able to work to those goals.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

Adaptation is done on a case-by-case basis, but I pay close attention to my students' strengths, weaknesses, and personality in order to think about what types of strategies might work best for them.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

The most important material I use is trying to engage the mind and teaching the students how to think through a problem. I typically do not use significant amounts of additional materials outside of what the student would use in class, because a level of dependency on these models could make it difficult to work without them. However, there may be situations where models and visualizations can be useful to teach a concept.

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