Pat
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Houghton College - Bachelors, English
Graduate Degree: University at Buffalo - Masters, English
Writing fiction. Traveling.
College English
Comparative Literature
GED Math
GED Reasoning Through Language Arts
GED Science
GED Social Studies
High School English
NYSTCE - New York State Teacher Certification Examinations
Professional Certifications
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning is an active process. The teacher's job is to provide opportunities for students to actively engage in a given subject and to provide immediate feedback to insure the best results.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
1. Discuss goals and expectations. 2. Administer a short diagnostic test. 3. Formulate a strategy to help the student to zero in on problem areas.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Encouraging a routine approach to studying and completing assignments is one way to increase their independence.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Setting realistic short-term goals and keeping an accurate account of progress helps students stay motivated.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
To avoid them becoming frustrated, I would encourage them to pull off the specific problem and to explore another that is similar.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
1. Read difficult passages out loud. 2. Decipher unfamiliar vocabulary using context clues. 3. Isolate the main idea of a difficult passage.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
if students are too nervous, they can't learn, so putting them at ease is a good idea. I let them ask me three questions and then I ask them three. That breaks the ice.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Ask them to imagine how it will feel to no longer be intimidated by the subject.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I give short quizzes at the end of a lesson or a short assignment that requires them to use the new material. Also allowing students to put the new concept in their own words and to apply it verbally is a good technique.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Providing many opportunities to succeed and to measure progress helps build confidence.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Diagnostic tests and writing samples allow me to identify the student's needs.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Zeroing in on the concepts or skills the student has the most difficulty with and offering practice work that is just a little bit more difficult than their current level.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Reading passages and various types of questions that correspond to it, including multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. I also have mini lessons to address the student's repetitive problems such as particular errors in grammar or usage.