Rainier
Certified Tutor
My name is Rainier Berkley and I am a recent physics graduate of Norfolk State University who has a strong passion for learning, helping others and solving complex mathematical and physical problems. I seek to put my love for learning all things mathematical and physical to use in finding solutions on a global scale for the good of mankind. I firmly believe in the "reach one teach one" philosophy because for every person I reach out and help hopefully they too can reach out and teach somebody else what I taught them and we all can grow as a unified whole one person at a time. This has ultimately led me to get involved in numerous tutoring and mentoring opportunities to give back and help out on a local level, because I can not only kill two birds with one stone but I can also build connections with people and improve upon my own problem-solving abilities simultaneously. I have been tutoring for a grand total of six plus years now in various mathematics courses ranging from algebra to differential equations and in physics courses ranging from algebra-based to calculus-based physics. I have tutored people through various different platforms inclusive of phone calls, video calls, video recordings, text messaging and last but not least in person. I have tutored all age groups starting with elementary school kids up to full fledged adults in college level studies. I have experience in standardized testing preparation since I have aided my peers, students and even a teacher in SOL testing, AP physics, the math section of the GRE and MCAT physics problems. This constant exposure has permitted me to experience new and different modes of thinking, perspectives, backgrounds and problem-solving techniques. Nothing brings me more joy then seeing one of my tutees succeed, learn and thrive in their coursework. My ultimate goal as a tutor is to help instill the necessary mindset for students to be able to adequately approach, understand, break down and solve problems by their lonesome and for any other up and coming students.
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Undergraduate Degree: Norfolk State University - Bachelors, Physics
Problem Solving, tutoring, learning, video games and hanging with friends
- 10th Grade Math
- 11th Grade Math
- 12th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Math
- 9th Grade Math
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- AP Physics 1
- AP Physics 2
- Arithmetic
- Calculus
- Calculus 2
- Calculus 3
- CLEP Calculus
- College Algebra
- College Physics
- Differential Equations
- Elementary School Math
- Geometry
- High School Physics
- Intermediate Algebra
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Multivariable Calculus
- OAT Physics
- Physics
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- PSAT Mathematics
- Quantum Physics
- Science
- Test Prep
- Trigonometry
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is to help instill the necessary mindset one needs in order to adequately approach, break down, learn from and master the subject material so they ultimately solve problems on their own.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
A typical first session with a student would consist of me getting to know them a little bit to build a certain level of comfort between us, and then trying to assess the student's difficulties. Therefore, I can determine ways to help them get past these difficulties for all future sessions.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I would tell them to take their time reading the whole problem/passage aloud, carefully and fluently, while looking for and underlining any key words or phrases. If necessary, tell the student to read it again aloud to get a better understanding of what was read. Most importantly talk to them about what they’re reading by asking questions before, during and after to help them verbally process the information better.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By allowing the student free reign to solve a problem/explain a concept while I supervise/listen allows me to determine their needs, while simultaneously getting a feel for what they understand and are good at.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Once I have identified the student’s needs, I will purposely incorporate more examples and practice problems that will force the student to work directly with their needs.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
During in person and online tutoring sessions I typically use whiteboards and dry erase markers since it yields a better visual representation and ultimately saves paper. If I do not have a whiteboard present, then I will just use regular pen and paper.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student has proven to still have difficulty with a concept or skill, then I will make certain to exhaust all ways of explaining the concept or illustrating the skill. This will give the student the options on how to understand the concept or skill.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
The strategies I find to be most successful when working with a student are giving a short but concise gist of the material, talking through the material and problem as I go through it (explaining every little step and detail), and lastly providing multiple approaches for finding the solution or viewing the problem.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
To get a student excited about or engaged in the subject material I will ask the student about their hobbies, and after assessing the student’s hobbies I will relate the subject material to their hobbies.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I would help a student build confidence in a subject by reassuring them that it is not as hard as it may seem, and congratulate them on getting things right, understanding the material and any/all breakthroughs.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
In order to ensure the student understands the material at hand I will pop quiz them by asking them to explain a particular concept or solve a practice problem that requires knowledge of a particular skill or concept.