Jacob
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus - Bachelors, Secondary Education Earth and Space Science
Science, Math, Guitar, Drums, Rock Climbing, Computers
What is your teaching philosophy?
I yearn to provide students with critical thinking skills and methods to answer problems instead of simple steps. This allows them to truly understand the material and succeed in their classes.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Briefly get to know the student, talk about their strengths in their area of study and their struggles, and begin exploring a few practice problems.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By teaching them good study methods and providing them with online resources.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By providing them with consistent encouragement and relating material to real life to provide curiosity and interest.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Assure the student that they can learn the material and go through the steps and concepts to teach them that skill until they are 100% comfortable.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I used to struggle with reading in middle school and in some courses throughout high school. I now employ various reading approaches and in word problems use the GUESS (given, unknown, equation, sub, solve) method to help others learn.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Before attempting any practice problems it is important to figure out how comfortable the student is with the basics and work from there. The vast majority of the time student's have trouble with material because they do not grasp a certain topic covered earlier.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Relate it to real life! Students get bogged down with the numbers and the facts without seeing the actual purpose of the material. Everything becomes easier and more interesting when you understand the purpose.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
After finishing a problem I often ask the student if he or she is comfortable with the material reviewed and every so often ask the student to explain the steps back to me to be sure. Depending on the response and time limitations, more practice problems may be necessary.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
My number one priority is to meet the students needs. If that means finishing homework or studying for a test that is what we will work on. With that said, I evaluate student needs for a living. Every single person I tutor, every class I teach, I constantly evaluate. This requires listening, noting struggles, noting strengths, and frequently adding material based on prior understanding to test the waters.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I make use of any and all materials available to me if the student is comfortable. The student will be highly encouraged to have a pen and paper with them. I also provide students with video links for post-tutoring study.