Nathan
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: The University of Texas at Austin - Bachelors, Biochemistry
ACT Math: 33
Piano, Programing, Tutoring, Taekwondo, Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, Mountain Climbing, Wake Surfing, and Cooking
Business
Business Ethics
College Chemistry
College Math
College Physics
Elementary School
Elementary School Math
Elementary School Reading
Elementary School Science
Elementary School Writing
High School Biology
High School Chemistry
High School Physics
Other
What is your teaching philosophy?
Breaking any hard concepts down to small and simple chunks that are easy for students to grasp.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
By gauging his or her level of understanding.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By teaching the technique of breaking any hard concepts down to small and simple chunks that are easy to understand.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
By talking about the importance and grand scheme of what she or he is learning.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Break it down to small and simple chunks that are easy for students to grasp.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Teaching him or her the discipline to read at least 1-2 hours a day.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
By gauging his or her level of understanding and then finding his or her strengths and weaknesses. Then helping him or her improve on his or her weaknesses.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Explaining the importance or grand scheme of the subject. Relating the subject to the current application/research out in the real world.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Asking the student to explain the material back to me, and if it's a problem that we are working on, I would ask the student to make up another similar problem.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
ensuring him or her that they've done all the preparation to do well in the subject.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By looking at his or her previous work.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I will change my tutoring style according to the student's learning style. If she or he is a visual learner, then I will teach using visual media. If she or he is an auditory learner, then I will slowly explain the subject.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Pencil, paper, and my laptop (for Google images). Often, images of the concept (graphs/diagrams) make it really easy to explain it to the student.