Iris
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Chicago - Current Undergrad, Biology, General
ACT Composite: 34
ACT English: 35
ACT Math: 33
ACT Reading: 36
ACT Science: 35
SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1560
SAT Math: 710
SAT Verbal: 800
SAT Writing: 790
Reading, painting, and travel
AP English Language and Composition
AP Studio Art: 2-D Design
AP US History
College Biology
College English
College World History
Comparative Literature
High School Biology
High School English
High School World History
Latin 1
Life Sciences
Other
SAT Subject Test in Literature
SAT Subject Tests Prep
SAT Verbal
Summer
US History
World History
What is your teaching philosophy?
All students have the ability to succeed and deserve a tutor who will help them reach their goals. Tutoring provides the individual instruction that most students do not receive in a classroom setting. A successful tutoring experience can give students the confidence and skills they need to tackle future challenges.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would ask to look at the student's past assessments to find patterns of strengths and weaknesses. Then, I would have the student take an assessment during the session so that I could observe their thought process and discuss it with them. Finally, I would prepare a program of study based on the results of the assessment and discussion with the student.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I teach all my students study skills and review methods so that they can gauge their own progress. I encourage them to notice patterns of success and failure and keep records of past assessments. Also, I show students how to identify and use quality study materials available outside the classroom.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I help them visualize their goal and identify milestones. I encourage students to articulate a reward system that they find meaningful and establish interim goals. I also engage the parents to recognize the student's effort and incremental successes.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student is struggling to learn material, then I work with them to find a way of studying that meshes with their learning modality. For example, if the student has trouble following an oral presentation, I would present the same material in a sketch or diagram. Sometimes having the student speak out loud can help with long term storage of the information.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I have my students annotate the text and highlight important points as they read. During a session, I go through the text page by page with them and ask them to point out any words they struggled with and quotes they found interesting or important. I bring up any points that they missed and engage in discussion of the text.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I link the subject they are working on to something they know and enjoy. For example, if the student struggles with geometry, I might use examples from art or sports to illustrate geometric principles.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I assess the student using a three-pronged approach: an oral test, a written test, and an interactive game. This method provides holistic feedback beyond specific regurgitation of material.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I reward hard work and incremental gains. I keep the focus on improvement rather than mastery.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I spend time building a team spirit with my students so that they understand that we are working toward a common goal.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I evaluate the student's needs by reviewing past performances, assessing current strengths and weaknesses, and identifying dominant learning modality.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I have a flexible tutoring style that ranges from traditional oral instruction and drills to drawing diagrams, creating songs and other mnemonics, and designing interactive games. If one method does meet a student's learning needs, I try something else.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use traditional textbooks (the student's own as well as others from my personal library), online resources, custom-made games, and 3D materials, as warranted by course content and student's learning style.