
Joshua
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Toccoa Falls College - Bachelors, Secondary Education: English
I love reading good science fiction and fantasy. I write poems mainly about my life with multiple sclerosis (MS). I have also started blogging about how MS impacts my life.
High School English
High School Writing
Middle School Reading
Middle School Reading Comprehension
Middle School Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
It is my commitment to the student to lead you into a better understanding and application of a subject. Education is a journey. It can be fun, easy, boring, or difficult. No matter how a student feels about the subject, my passion for it, knowledge of it, and desire to teach it will greatly improve the experience.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I would show students a poem, or story that is open to more than one interpretation. As the students develop their own ideas, I would ask them to prove their answers to me, asking that specific examples are used as evidence.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
First, I would introduce myself to the student. I would then get right into the planned lesson for the session. As the session progresses, I will use what I have observed to modify the flow of the session. For example, if a student has difficulty with one particular section, then I will know to review that again before the end of the session. If the opposite occurs, and the student is becoming bored with how 'simple' it is, then I will be able to heighten the rigor and move more quickly.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would begin the session with encouraging the student without sounding condescending. I truly want students to succeed, and I will sincerely show them how. Yet, I do not guarantee that students will, "Enjoy," a particular lesson, and I state that right at the beginning. However, I do let them know that I will help them do better, achieve more. I do not take offense when a student says, "I'm bored," or, "This is boring." Rather, I take that opportunity to ask the student why it is boring, and to prove how it is boring. Once the student sees that even defending this aspect of a lesson can show mastery, it reinforces their ability and motivation.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would first attempt to find out from the student which aspect of the task or skill is most difficult. Then I would review that particular process or element while rewording it so that the student has a better understanding. For evidence, I would then ask the student to reperform the task showing success.