Christian
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: East Los Angeles College - Associates, Business Administration and Management
Hiking, Outdoors, Technology, Computer Science
Algebra 3/4
Business
C++
College Computer Science
Conversational French
Conversational Spanish
Elementary School Math
French 1
High School Computer Science
High School Physics
Other
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
Technology and Coding
What is your teaching philosophy?
I like to take my time and breakdown concepts. Use many examples and relationships to draw parallels for problems.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Talk about the problems at hand and see where they are coming from. Figure what is being done right and what we need to do to improve the situation.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Give them examples to build their skills. Then take those skills to learn to tackle any problem and become efficient at finding solutions.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Vision! Setting a goal is the number one way of staying motivating. Imagine where you want to be by accomplishing that goal and the journey that took you there. Remember, life never gets easier; we get tougher, and every little bit counts. Never stop learning and never give up, because if you do, life will push you around.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Being relaxed and friendly. As soon as there is quietness or awkwardness, break that with a question or suggestion. Try to be open about your own ability; nobody knows anything to complete mastery. Letting them see a real person instead of an all-knowing figure helps them feel more comfortable in the beginning.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Have them explain it back to someone is a great way to find out whether someone understands something or not. Having them teach it to a peer is the best indicator that the material is well understood.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Building confidence can be accomplished by doing easier problems first; that way the student feels capable of trying the harder ones. Doing the problem once won't be enough; repeat the same problem, but without referring to the notes or help to achieve success. Follow that up by asking the student to explain the problem and the steps to demonstrate whether the student understood how they solved the problem.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I always carry with me a graphing calculator, a small white board, my laptop and material guides; that way I am always prepared no matter the situation. There are many tools capable of enhancing the tutoring experience, but knowing how to use the tools and extract the right solution is where I come in.