
Alan
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Centre College - Bachelors, History
Graduate Degree: University of Louisville - Masters, Special Education
soccer, sudoku
Elementary School English
Elementary School Reading
Elementary School Writing
High School Level American History
High School World History
Other
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
By finding a subject they are interested in and using that desire to do the hard work of understanding what is read.
What is your teaching philosophy?
My job as a tutor is to meet a student where he is and help guide him back along the path he must go.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Discover what the student likes to do in and out of school, and begin to use his interests (strengths) as a tool to improve his weaknesses.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Independent learning comes from a combination of interest and success. If I meet a student where he is and help him become successful, he is going to discover the joy of learning.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By making learning fun by demonstrating my enjoyment, finding things that interest the student for work, and finding interesting ways to present the material.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Every problem has more than one answer. Every problem can be solved in more than one way. My job is to help the student find his way to grasp an idea.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
By using things they are interested in as avenues to get them to understand concepts that are difficult for them. And by breaking down harder subjects into smaller bites that are easier to digest.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
They have to be able to demonstrate that they understand. Independent of my assistance, they have to be able to work through and solve a problem.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Success breeds success. By breaking down a larger task into smaller component parts, the student will be able to build up to successfully resolve difficult problems.