Dylan
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Colorado Denver - Current Undergrad, Biology, General
ACT Math: 31
ACT Science: 31
Basketball, reading, weight lifting, watching movies
College Math
College Physics
Drum
French Horn
High School Physics
Homework Support
Middle School Science
Middle School Writing
Other
Spanish 1
Summer
What is your teaching philosophy?
There is no right or wrong way to learn. Every student is different, and therefore it is vital that each student is treated as an individual and their learning style catered to.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I see what sort of foundation the student has in the subjects I will be tutoring. This will give me an idea of what we need to work on in order to move forward.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Make sure the student understands why they are doing something, rather than just knowing how to do it. If they understand the why, a student is more likely to work on material outside of sessions or school.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Motivation is an individual experience. Taking breaks while studying can help a student study for longer periods of time, which will help them stay motivated while reviewing material. Other students may need a reward or goal to work toward to give purpose to their learning.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Go back to basics. If a student doesn't understand a particular concept or skill, it is usually because they don't have complete mastery of a prerequisite skill or understanding. If this isn't the case, approaching the topic from a different standpoint may help the student to understand the concept.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I encourage them to take it slowly and look for keywords that will help them recall the passage later. Imagery and descriptions are more memorable than blocks of text, so the student's ability to immerse themselves in the story or passage is a big part of comprehension. If the material is non-fiction, a highlighter is an important tool for remembering the material.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I like to ask a student what it is they struggle with. This will give an idea of their understanding of a given topic and allow me to work from where they are rather than trying to teach them something they may not be prepared for.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Find out what does excite the student (i.e. sports, books, video games) and try and incorporate those things into the lessons.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Having the student teach the material back to me is the best way to test their understanding. It identifies holes in their knowledge better than a quiz or test does.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Edification. Make sure the student knows that they are improving and that, even though there may be things they struggle with, that you are confident in their ability.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I like to ask the student what things they feel confident in and other things they don't. Based on that, I usually develop an assessment to find out what level of mastery they actually have and go from there.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Regular evaluation and taking notice of the student's attitude toward each topic. For example, some students may struggle with a particular topic, and they lose confidence in it and want to rush through to something they would rather work on. But as the tutor, I would break down the lesson piecewise and make sure the student fully understood the material before moving on.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Depending on the subject, I use textbooks, quizzes, flashcards, conversation, music, and videos. It really depends on the subject and student.