Jen
Certified Tutor
Undergraduate Degree: Reed College - Bachelors, Religious Studies
ACT Composite: 34
ACT English: 35
ACT Math: 32
ACT Reading: 35
ACT Science: 32
SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1570
SAT Math: 740
SAT Verbal: 780
SAT Writing: 800
Photography, dancing (Irish, Scottish, Ballet, Hiphop, Modern), Nature, Travel
Adult Literacy
American Literature
Art
College English
College Level American Literature
College World History
Elementary School Math
Elementary School Reading
Elementary School Writing
GED Math
GED Reasoning Through Language Arts
GED Science
GED Social Studies
High School English
High School Level American Literature
High School Political Science
High School Writing
IB Film
Other
Philosophical Ethics
Political Science
Social Sciences
Spelling Bee
Study Skills
Study Skills and Organization
What is your teaching philosophy?
Teaching *must* be organized based on the student's needs and interests. I take a personalized approach to encourage my students to critically think and engage deeply with the material!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I think it's important to get to know each other in a first session, so I'd play a few icebreakers before delving deep into the student's work and offering them a practice test to isolate their strengths and weaknesses. From there, we'd set expectations and goals and work towards developing a lesson plan.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students become independent when they're asked to think for themselves and develop their own conclusions and understandings of the material. I do this by guiding students through discussion and critical reasoning with the subject at hand!
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I keep students motivated with encouragement and positive reinforcement (which, of course, looks different student-to-student), and through keeping the lessons relevant to both school and their lives.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would approach the difficulty at multiple angles to try and understand exactly what the issue was and where the student's weaknesses lay. After isolating where the trouble was, we'd practice strengthening the weaknesses until it was no longer an issue.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I like to lead the student through reading passages by asking basic questions about the context, setting, and history of the piece. These lessons turn into exploratory conversations, which make comprehension fun and interesting.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Getting to know the student is *central* to success. Some students work well with practice problems; some with writing; some with conversation. Isolating what methods of learning work best is definitely the key to success.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would bring in examples of the subject from the "real world," tailored to the student's interests. I like to make funny mnemonic devices to help them remember how to interact with cumbersome concepts.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I like to use a mixture of testing (multiple choice, short answer, and essay) and conversation to confirm a student knows the material. I ask them to teach *me*, so that I can see they have a mastery.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I build confidence with positive reinforcement -- kind words, little prizes, high-fives -- and praise when it's due!
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I like to isolate a student's needs with a pre-test before beginning tutoring.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I am very flexible with my style and approach, and I will use different methods (testing, writing, drawing, acting, etc.) depending on the student.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
This really depends on the student, but a notebook and pen are always must-haves.