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Ryan

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I'm a Wayne State graduate with a passion for psychology. I'm an experienced tutor who was once the president of a tutoring/mentoring organization (Psychology Academic Support Services) at WSU. I've been seeing students on a one on one basis for over three years now, and I'm confident that I can equip with the strategies needed to understand the material, and learn the most effective way to prepare for the test. My subjects include ACT/SAT prep, Algebra I and II, Statistics, Psychology, and many others. Feel free to contact me if you're interested in scheduling a tutoring session. I'm available for sessions online and in person, on afternoons, weeknights, and weekends.

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Ryan’s Qualifications

Education & Certification

Undergraduate Degree: Wayne State University - Bachelors, Psychology

Hobbies

Psychological research, statistics, video games, swimming.

Tutoring Subjects

ACT Prep

ACT Writing

Algebra

Algebra 2

College Algebra

Discrete Math

Geometry

Homework Support

Math

Pre-Algebra

Psychology

SAT Prep

Social Sciences

Statistics

Study Skills and Organization

Q & A

What is your teaching philosophy?

To put it briefly, I think anyone can learn just about any material if equipped with the right strategies. I have a background in cognitive psychology, and I often apply what I learned about memory to the concept of test preparation. Strategies like distributed practice, chunking, mnemonics, and engaging the material through different modalities can lead to richer encoding and easily retrieval of memories, which will make the content more likely to "stick."

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

I would try to evaluate where they are. I'd let them engage the material until they hit stumbling blocks. I would create some goals for the student to meet. In my experience, goal setting is a positive motivator and a way to get more organized.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would keep a student motivated with plenty of encouragement, and by setting reasonable goals/benchmarks for the student to achieve.

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

I would try to teach the student a concept in a different way. I would show them an alternate way of solving the problem, a supplemental aid that visualizes it clearly, or by carefully taking every problem step by step. I would be patient and encouraging during the process.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

A student can become independent by applying the skills learned in the classroom and with a tutor. It can also help to find an aspect of the material that the student enjoys. That can help encourage the student to seek out more about the topic on their own.

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

We would review strategies to improve retention of the material. For instance, I would teach the student to reevaluate what they just read at the end of each paragraph. This would help the student break the material into smaller chunks, so that they aren't overwhelmed by a lot of information at once. Also, I would have them review some vocabulary words that are similar to the reading level of the text. I would also urge them to find books that they enjoy, which can be good practice for "academic" reading.

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

Getting to know the student, evaluating their understanding of the content, getting to know the situation (how the teacher is, what the expectations of the class are), and setting goals.

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

By helping them academically. Most students will find a subject interesting once they've had it explained to them in a way that they can understand.

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

Quizzing, repeated review, having the student create problems, and seeing if they can apply the material to real world situations.

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

For starters, I try to remain patient and empathic. When a student makes a mistake, I make sure to tell them the aspects of the problem that they got correct, to minimize the bad feelings that come with errors and to make the mistake into something constructive.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would start by asking the student about the course, and what material is being covered. Once I discover which material is important, I will evaluate the student's progress on the material by having them solve coursework-relevant problems. From there, I will solidify understand of the material that they around know, and introduce new concepts that I deem relevant for understanding the material. I also tend to view the student as a whole. Sometimes, the student generally understands the material, but struggles with time management and ends up being unprepared for the test. Sometimes, test anxiety is fueling poor performance more than lack of understanding. Evaluating a student's needs involves communicating, seeing what their habits are, and providing alternatives to ineffective ones.

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

My style changes depending on the temperament, achievement level, and age of the student.

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

A computer, a calculator (for math), the student's textbook, scratch paper, old notes from my classes, etc.

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