Catherine
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Bachelors, Biological Science
Graduate Degree: Barat College - Masters, Education
Quilting, Sewing, Cooking, Watching sports, Hand-dying fabric and tye-dye
What is your teaching philosophy?
There are basic scientific principles that should be understood by all educated citizens, and my goal is to help people understand those principles in a way that makes sense to them. Students should understand the relevance of science to their lives, and know where to find information and how to evaluate that information so that they can make informed decisions. Students should understand that biological issues and all the sciences have issues that are interconnected with the world around them- including economics, politics, history, and culture. And finally, students should actively participate in the learning process.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a typical first session, I would introduce myself and give a short background, but the most important thing would be to find out what the student needed and what they had been studying and what their goals were for the tutoring sessions. I'd want to know what they were studying and how they felt about it, including their likes and dislikes.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Helping a student become an independent learner is very important, and I would give the student tips and strategies on how to become a person who does things to learn for themselves.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would help a student stay motivated by finding out how they learn best and try and give them information in the ways that they like the best. I would also give them tips on how to make the best of topics that are challenging to learn in multiple ways.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, I would try and show them another way of doing something, or another way to approach the topic to see if that would help.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
There are multiple reading strategies available, and some of them include reviewing headings and turning them into questions, as well as doing things with bold words in the text and other things to make technical reading easier.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
When working with students, you must find out where they are at first, and then find out where they are struggling before you can move forward with helping them.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
To help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in I would show a video of something related, and I would make a real-world connection to the use of the topic for the student.