As a data analyst, I know that a person's level of education is the strongest predictor of economic stability, physical health, and quality of life. So, by helping people accomplish a challenging course like statistics, I am helping them accomplish their dreams and build their best life. Sounds huge for such a small thing as teaching and tutoring statistics, but huge goals are made up of lots of little steps. HINT: This is how we will approach statistics too!
I have taught college-level statistics for eight years, both in-person and online. I have taught statistics as a math course (focused on probability theory and formulas), and applied versions for business courses, and social science courses. As part of earning my PhD in Psychology at The University of Georgia, I completed several high-level statistics courses, cumulating in multiple linear regression analysis. In preparation for those graduate courses, I took undergraduate advanced statistics I and II via the statistics department. These two courses are closer in content to the college courses I teach and tutor for, so I draw from them heavily for instruction materials. I routinely apply and expand my data analyst skill set as the lead researcher of my own data consultant business, Research Studio (www.researchst.com).
During my 19 years as an instructor, I have learned that one of my strongest skills is de-stuckifying people by identifying hindrances, and building on individual strengths to overcome them. I have never had a student who worked with me who did not succeed in the course, often excelling beyond their own expectations! There are two key parts of this process:
1. Do not mistake your current performance for your actual potential! It is just a place were you are temporarily stuck. And you are already taking a key first step by reaching out for help.
2. A sense of connection is key to successful learning, especially when we are experiencing elevated stress or anxiety*. Thus, we will always invest a few minutes in developing rapport at the beginning of a session, and summarizing gains at the end.
My tutoring sessions are based on the 1-on-1 student work sessions that guide my struggling students to success. We will begin by exploring your current strengths and hindrances in your statistical work. This will provide the basis of the customized intervention activity we will work through together. Alternatively, if you have a specific area of statistics you are struggling with, we will work through a similar set of problems together. (HINT: This goes better if you can give me a brief summary of the topics you want to cover and areas of difficulty or stuckedness prior to our session.) Throughout this activity, I will highlight your areas of comprehension (and improvement!), draw your attention to factors or steps you may be overlooking, and prompt further steps when you get stuck. We will conclude each session by documenting your comprehension in a customized "solution map" for future use in solving similar problems. In short, I will give you the same time and commitment as my own students, whose anonymous college evaluations repeatedly describe me as "deeply involved in helping students succeed", and "stopping at nothing to ensure better overall understanding".
*Since 80% of student I taught statistics described themselves as anxious and stressed at the beginning of the course, it is reasonable to assume that students contacting me are also stressed. Also, if you are stressed or anxious about statistics, you are clearly not alone!
