
Taryn
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities - Current Undergrad, Political Science and Government
ACT English: 33
ACT Reading: 34
Collecting and reading older books, crocheting, running, biking, being outside
College English
Elementary School Math
High School English
Homework Support
Other
Political Science
Social Sciences
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is to make sure that students of all learning methods find a way of learning that excites and motivates them!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
During a first session, I play games and practice different learning exercises to better know the personality of the student and their likes and dislikes.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The best way to help a student become an independent learner is to teach good habits! Organization, scheduling, and time management are key!
How would you help a student stay motivated?
The best way to keep a student motivated is to set small, achievable goals. This way, every step towards a final goal is extremely rewarding!
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student is struggling with a concept, it is important to work together to figure out where they are stuck on the subject. For example, a student may understand a question, but does not know the order of steps needed to answer the question.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension is a very common struggle. The best way to deal with this issue is to work line by line. That way, the student can piece together the entire question themselves and also know specific points in the text where an answer may be.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
The best way to get to have a successful student/tutor relationship is to know one another aside from the subject that needs work. Knowing what sports, shows, hobbies, and activities a student enjoys is a valuable tool in teaching. A pleasant relationship between tutor and student is critical to the learning process.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
The best way to get a student engaged is to make something hard, fun! Educational games and jokes, no matter how cheesy, are memorable and help a student to better absorb a topic.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Games and flashcards are a great way to see how a student is progressing in a subject. Tests can be too overwhelming for some and a more casual learning tool can be a great method.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Praise! Even if a student does not get the right answer, make sure to compliment them on their strategy and highlight what they did right!
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
The best way to evaluate needs is to ask the student what they think is hard about a certain subject. Then, move on to warm up exercises to get a better understanding of the areas a student may need improvement in from an outside view.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
The best way to adapt to student's needs is to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. If a student loves flashcards, work heavily with flashcards. If a student has test anxiety, work on strategies for overcoming their fears with games that test their abilities in different ways.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use paper, pencils, flashcards, quizzes, counting blocks and sticks, and treats to distribute at the end of a session.