Zachary
I am an undergraduate student at Fredonia State University studying French Adolescence Education with dual minors in Spanish and International Studies. I have studied abroad in Mexico (Oaxaca), and plan to study abroad again next year in northern Québec.
At Fredonia, I work as a collegiate tutor at the Fredonia Learning Center. Much like my position here with Varsity Tutors, I help students with their collegiate work in French and Spanish. In addition, I serve as the Vice President of International Club and secretary of Model European Union.
I have worked with students in French and Spanish from beginning to advanced levels –grade 7 through college. I fell in love with modern language education as a high school student when I served as a teaching assistant in our districts middle school. Since then, I have had two teaching placements in middle and high schools as part of my undergraduate program, as well as served as a collegiate Teaching Assistant of French 116.
My teaching philosophy is that all students can learn a foreign language. With persistence and dedication, a new language awaits you!
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart”
-Nelson Mandela
Fredonia State University of New Yok - Current Undergrad, French Adolescence Education with minors in Spanish and International Studies
What is your teaching philosophy?
All students can learn French and Spanish. They are taught best by individuals who are responsive and reflective.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I think the most important goal of a first session is to assess where the student's learning goals are. What does this student need to understand for this concept - and how can I make that possible?
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
As a tutor, I can show students HOW to study foreign language and how to dissect new words and verbs without me.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Staying motivated is absolutely key for learning a foreign language. Motivation comes from positive energy - something that I always bring to my tutoring sessions.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
The two keys to working with a student that has difficulty learning a skill or concept is PATIENCE and PACING. There's nothing wrong with slowing down and achieving half of what you had originally anticipated achieving during a session if the student is understanding the concepts at a slower rate than you expected.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
For students who are struggling with reading comprehension, the key to success is dissection: teaching the student to break down the reading slowly instead of looking at a paragraph (or even sentence) as a whole.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Making connections with the student. As soon as you discover something about their interests, including that interest area in everything that you can throughout a lesson.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
My energy level would help a student get excited and engaged with a subject that they are struggling in. Consistently staying positive and excited about new material can be truly contagious.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
To be sure that a student understands the material, I would consistently assess feedback in the form of giving the students questions, quizzing them, etc.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Building a student's confidence in a subject takes time. This can be achieved by consistent positive feedback.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
The evaluation of a student's needs is done by reading queues of the student, as well as analyzing their responses.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
My tutoring style is always adaptable based on what student I am working with. Tutoring should always highlight a student’s strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
During a tutoring session, I typically use resources from textbooks and workbooks that I have on file. In addition, I love to use media of French and Spanish speaking news, songs, articles, etc.
