Bio

I am primarily a Math and Physics tutor. I enjoy teaching Calculus, Linear Algebra and working out introductory proofs. I enjoy computer graphics and have written several simulation programs on various topics using OpenGL based APIs. I earned my Cisco Certified Network Associate for Routing and Switching in February of 2020. I enjoy the challenge of learning new things and have found that I learn the most when I can effectively communicate that knowledge to others.

Teaching Experience

I am primarily a Math and Physics tutor. I enjoy teaching Calculus, Linear Algebra and working out introductory proofs. I enjoy computer graphics and have written several simulation programs on various topics using OpenGL based APIs. I earned my Cisco Certified Network Associate for Routing and Switching in February of 2020. I enjoy the challenge of learning new things and have found that I learn the most when I can effectively communicate that knowledge to others.

What is your teaching philosophy?

I feel that the more engaged a student is in the process, the better prepared they will be to take on the increasing difficulty of course requirements. I can demonstrate the proper steps in example after example, but if they don’t try working those examples themselves, they don’t learn why those are the steps to take (or perhaps why another way might be better).

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

I try to identify the student’s goals in working with a tutor, then try to assess the student’s skill level and estimate what it will take to bring the student to that goal. For example, suppose a student was having trouble with the Pythagorean Theorem. In that case, it may be that they have trouble remembering how to use the “a^2 + b^2 = c^2” formula. Still, most of the time, I find that they never really learned the rules for basic algebraic manipulation of variables like isolating a variable.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

After identifying what skills the student needs to attain their goal, I try to explain those skills as markers on a roadmap to their goal. If we can set small achievable goals along the way, the student begins to learn how the skills being built up to have become tools to build a solution. Once they can recognize the types of tools they will need for a particular type of solution, it usually only takes a few thoughtful questions to get the student thinking about it in the right way. Eventually, they will gain the self-confidence to tackle problem-solving on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I’ve found many students lose interest because they feel they aren’t getting a topic, so I attempt to break the steps of a process into small attainable pieces. This helps to remind them that they are making forward progress.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

We all learn things differently. Sometimes the standard way things are taught doesn’t click with a student. If I find a student is having trouble learning a concept, I try to learn how the student is thinking about it to try and devise a different way for the student to bridge the gap. Once they can understand from their perspective, it is often much easier to look back at the standard way of understanding.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

If a student is having trouble understanding what they are reading, I like to try to explain what they think it means in their own words. Often, the simple act of saying something out loud makes that light bulb go off in their head.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

Observing the steps students take when solving a problem rather than talking to them about why they took those steps is the best way to identify what they understand and what concepts they need to work on.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

Most of the time, students struggle with subjects they don’t feel connected to, so if I can find a way that connects them to that subject, it often helps them think about it to make it relevant to them.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

As we progress through topics, I try to stop every so often to ask the student to demonstrate their understanding of what we just covered. A small problem that requires utilizing that concept will often demonstrate their understanding.

How do you build a student’s confidence in a subject?

I try to remember what it was like for me to go through difficult subjects. When a subject doesn’t make sense, it seems like it will never make sense at the time. Now, if I look back at those subjects, they seem very clear. Confidence comes in slow, small steps that are hard to see at the moment. I try to remind a student of this and use small achievable goals to highlight those small steps.

How do you evaluate a student’s needs?

Asking the student is usually the first place to start in assessing the students’ needs. More often than not, they are aware of what their strengths and weaknesses are.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

I typically use the whiteboard. Sometimes I will use an online graphing tool to illustrate a concept or share a link if there is a unique insight that I think will be helpful.

Teaching Skills