Steven
Certified Tutor
I recently graduated, and got my bachelors degree, from Purdue University with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Mathematics. During my senior year at Purdue I worked as a teaching assistant, and later a lab instructor. As a lab instructor I was the sole teacher of a class of 20 students. I was responsible for preparing and presenting background information to my section, running the lab session, answering questions and assisting students during lab, and grading the lab reports. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and felt that teaching would be a great career path for me. The lab instructor position allowed me to develop my teaching and communication skills.
I believe that it is important to remember that students have different learning styles, and as a tutor my job is to find out which teaching methods work best for my students. I also believe that it is very important to make students feel comfortable asking any questions that they may have. I strive to make my students feel comfortable, and to be patient with them. I also try to get to know my students personally, and have a friendly relationship with them.
In general I am a very positive and friendly person. I have been described as very understanding, caring, and personable. Outside of teaching I enjoy watching and playing sports, I love being outdoors, hiking, and camping. I also like to read, I have a few gardens at home that I like to take care of, and I love to cook.
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Undergraduate Degree: Purdue University-Main Campus - Bachelors, Environmental Science
Sports, gardening, cooking
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that everyone has their own unique learning style, and it is important to be patient and try different methods of teaching until one works.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know the student, and discuss what they already know and what they would like to work on.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Show them ways to stay organized, and ways to reduce stress while studying.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Try to get them to understand that it will benefit them greatly in life if they can learn to enjoy studying and doing homework.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Try a different teaching method, and find a way to relate the material to something that they understand.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Get them to focus on context clues.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Getting to know them on a more personal level, and making them feel comfortable asking any questions that they may have.