Ron
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Akron Main Campus - Bachelors, Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Degree: University of Akron Main Campus - Masters, Mechanical Engineering
My hobbies include:reading/writingsci-fi/GEEK chicFood/cooking/restaurantsMoviesCleveland sportsPro wrestling
College English
High School English
What is your teaching philosophy?
Answering the questions is OK, but building student confidence is more important.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Find out where the student has been having difficulty, and then find out why the difficulty is there.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Show the student how to solve a problem or two, then guide the student through another, and then watch the student do the next.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Nothing beats encouragement. Students really respond to a simple "You can do it!" - especially once they see they can.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Try to isolate the source of the difficulty, but also work on something else to give that student a taste of success.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
In the early going I would probably have to read along. There's likely to be limited time to work with.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Again, encouragement is huge.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
When I can, I show how I used that subject and what came from it. They always ask "how do you use this in real life?"
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
The homework is a good start, but it's worth following it up with summarizing what was learned from the homework. That seldom matches what the book says they should've learned.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Again, encouragement is the key ingredient.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
The first thing is to ask; the second is to observe. Many students need something beyond the problem solving.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I keep a stack of blank paper on hand. A sketch will work wonders.