Stephanie
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Amherst College - Bachelors, French
Graduate Degree: Princeton University - Masters, Comparative Literature
SAT Verbal: 780
Yoga, greyhound rescue
AP French Language and Culture
British Literature
College English
Conversational French
French 1
High School English
High School Writing
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
At the first session, I find out what the student's goal is, where they are on the path to that goal, and what success will look like to them.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I've been a classroom teacher for 13 years, so I have a variety of digital lesson plans and practice exercises at my fingertips. I use exercises that I have created, as well as resources I find online.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Everyone can learn and should learn a foreign language! Studying a foreign language is not all grammar and pronunciation. It's about stepping outside your comfort zone to connect with people from different cultures.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I have a variety of online resources that I can point students to so that they can practice independently.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
It's all about the goal! I remind students of their goal and how much progress they have made toward it.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
There are always multiple ways to approach a problem. If I don't have another approach immediately at hand, I would ask one of the teaching groups I belong to for ideas.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Comprehension can be tested by asking students to put the author's ideas into the student's own words. If the student can't do that, then we need to analyze why: is it the vocabulary? I'm a vocabulary specialist! Is it the grammar? I'm an expert at that, too!
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
If a student can explain or reteach the concept, that is when you know the student has really mastered it.