Expert Biology HL/SL Tutor, Holds Bachelor of Science in Biology with 12+ Years of IB Biology Teaching Experience!
Expert Biology HL/SL Tutor, Holds Bachelor of Science in Biology with 12+ Years of IB Biology Teaching Experience!
Bachelor of Science in Biology – Specialization in Virology and Cancer Genetics
My philosophy is to approach teaching organically and offer guidance, rather than spoon-feed the student the answers and then go through a laborious process to explain why everything happens that way. I like to allow the student to reach a point of understanding on their own and gain the knowledge they sought and gain the confidence and satisfaction that they did it on their own.
I want to get to know the student since we will be spending all this time together. Personal information, hobbies, and habits, interests beyond the classroom. Whatever the student is willing to disclose will only strengthen our rapport. Then I want to make the student comfortable and aware of what we will be covering during our time together. Then we would ease into the material itself with a friendly and organic approach to teaching.
By allowing the student to come to their conclusions about the material and make their discoveries along the way. It is, too often, the student-teacher relationship to be overtly codependent, expecting the teacher to come up with all the answers and for the student to resort to parroting. By allowing the student to see where they are supposed to go and offer guidance and not answers on a silver platter, the student will develop the skills required to find what they need and recognize patterns of learning on their own. That is how the student will become independent and self-reliant.
I would help the student remain motivated by making the class a place of discovery and wonder and showing the student that it is not a struggle to learn something, that it can help me so much more. Passion is the appropriate word here. By fanning the fires of passion about what they want to achieve, that is how they will remain on target and see the next challenge as a stepping stone and not an insurmountable mountain on their path.
Break it down so that the student will be able to go from part A to part B. Connect the dots between each part and the next by showing them the pattern and not forcing them to understand. By figuring how everything fits together, everything comes together.
By showing the student strategies and little hacks about the material and how to get to the essential parts. By showing them how to look for the relevant information, isolate it, and eventually bring everything together.
The most important aspect is to approach the student honestly and without prejudice; it is often easy to look at a student and come them with preconceived notions and ideas. In my opinion, it is always best to be open and understanding and offer the student the same courtesy that you would expect for yourself. And that is to learn things about the student as you go and not convince yourself that you already know what the student is, just because you taught a few students before him.
By showing them that there are things to get excited about, even in class. To teach them with passion, show them why the teacher is passionate about the material, and show them the wonders in it. If they find something difficult to understand, then guidance is the way, not trying to hammer the knowledge in their heads.
First, I would show the student that there is no such thing as "I can't," and only "I don't want to." In my opinion, if that is clarified, and then if the student is made aware about the reason they are in this classroom with you, things will start to fall into place, as long as you make them understand that "I am here to understand and not be discouraged." Then it is up to the teacher to make the material as approachable as possible to the student. Show them the way and let them walk the path.
By allowing the student to realize that they are capable of understanding certain things by themselves. The satisfaction and gratification that come from figuring out things by yourself are as valuable as the knowledge they gain. In my opinion, the teacher is there to guide the student to the truth and not spoon-feed them the answers.
That is a complicated question. It is as multifaceted as it is complex. The student has a particular way of understanding the material. It is up to the teacher to make themselves acquainted with the intricacies of his abilities. Comprehension, deconstruction and analysis, and many more skills that the ideal student would possess. Also, there is one more thing to consider: Not all students work the same way, operate on the same level, and understand what goes on. It is on the teacher to observe and understand what the student's mind can absorb and how easily that happens.
When the student's grasp of the material is relatively easy, I will offer more information for the student to acquire. If the opposite takes place, then bring down the amount of data to the level of the student. Never take away information; present it in a different light. In some way that the student would perceive it more easily.
I find that using visual queues helps the student to comprehend the material more easily. So I will use multimedia material in class such as short videos, explaining the concept in question or a picture. The use of other texts, other than the textbook used in class is also beneficial. Finally, the use of models, e.g. a model of the eye, or the heart usually has striking results.