
Alexander
Certified Tutor
Alexander’s Qualifications
Education & Certification
Undergraduate Degree: Brigham Young University-Provo - Bachelors, Chemistry
Hobbies
I like to go skiing as well as hiking in the mountains. I also love going rock climbing either indoors in a gym or outside. Reading is also one of my hobbies and my favorite book is "The Great Gatsby." I think Chemistry is awesome.
Tutoring Subjects
Q & A
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Normally in a first session, I try and evaluate their level of understanding of the material they are learning right then. If their main issues are surrounding understanding the current material, I would review that material and help them through their homework. If the issues are more deeply rooted, then I will go back and review the basics.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Motivation comes from feeling like you are succeeding and feeling confident in your abilities. I try and always compliment my students, no matter how small the success is.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I review the subject and explain it. If they are still not understanding, I try and explain it in a different way, and then ask them to explain it back to me.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I help them identify context clues in order to build their comprehension.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Confidence comes from comprehending a subject, and that comes from practice, practice, practice.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I evaluate a student's needs simply by asking questions and following their thought process.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I like to switch it up and focus on a combination of their current homework and review type worksheets.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I like to use practice problems where I don't help them at all. Also I like to hear their thought process when working through problems.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I adjust when necessary. If, for example, a student seems to struggle with one subject more than another, I focus more on that subject and do more review and practice problems on it.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
A large part of being engaged with a subject is from finding something that interests you within the subject, and I feel real-world examples help to engage and excite students.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I like to assess their ability by first going through their current homework and seeing where they struggle, and if/how much review I should do.
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is that I want to see students/parents achieve their goals, and I want to see the student develop confidence and knowledge in the subject.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Independence stems from confidence in a subject, and that comes from practicing a concept until it is an innate ability.