Grant
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: University of Northern Colorado - Bachelors, Mathematical Physics
Physics, Math, Science, Hockey, Golf, Soccer, Skiing/Snowboarding, Running, Swimming, Technology, Space
College Physics
High School Chemistry
High School Physics
Homework Support
Honors Chemistry
Middle School Science
Other
Physical Science
Study Skills and Organization
Summer
What is your teaching philosophy?
Who cares about learning something if it won't help you in real life? I teach using real-world examples and down-to-earth scenarios. My approach to problem solving is less lecture-based and more hands-on, generating a more complete understanding of the material than just memorization.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I can't help a student if I don't know anything about them. My first priority is to learn about the student's principles, motivations, and goals in life. From there, we can apply the course material more directly to the student's life.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
People learn best when they use what they're studying in real life. I teach by using real-world examples and emphasizing independent critical thinking techniques that students can use on their own to better practice and digest what they're studying.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
In my experience, students struggle with new skills and concepts for only a couple of reasons. My first priority is to uncover whether the student is struggling because they have an incomplete understanding of the basics of the new material or skill, or whether they are struggling because they can't see where the new skill or material would be useful in their life. If the student struggles because of an incomplete foundation, my solution is to simply go back to the basics and strengthen the groundwork for the new skill or concept. If the student struggles because of a disconnect with their life, I refocus the material to include specific examples that the student can relate to.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Who cares about learning something if you don't use it in real life? I always struggled to engage with things that I couldn't relate to, so I learned to apply a subject to what I care about. I do the same with students by learning what they care about and finding ways to connect the subject at hand to the student's passions and life.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
If you do not completely understand something, you cannot properly teach it. I check a student's understanding by having them teach me the material after they have learned it. For example, if a student and I are studying a math subject, then I would make a new problem that had twists and catches in it, and then have the student teach me how to solve the problem. If the student misses something or gets part of it wrong, we go back to that part of the material and try to improve the student's understanding of the subject.