Carla
Certified Tutor
I was born and raised in Argentina and moved to the United States in 2004. Nowadays, I enjoy being the mom a 15 month old baby girl and the wife of my loving husband. I am all about learning and exploring new disciplines of study. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering with a special interest in web applications development. One of my biggest passions in life is to see others succeed and reach their goals. This is why I enjoy tutoring and helping in the community in one way or another. I hope I can make anyone's learning experience exciting, fun, and as personable as possible. We, all tutors, have been in your shoes once, so I know how you feel. I want to be able to provide all kind of learning tools but, most importantly, forge motivation and confidence.
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Undergraduate Degree: Virginia State University - Bachelors, Computer Engineering
Develop websites, play with my baby girl, read books, write essays/poetry, watch movies, and many other things
- 10th Grade
- 10th Grade Math
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade
- 11th Grade Math
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade
- 12th Grade Math
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 1st Grade
- 1st Grade Math
- 1st Grade Reading
- 1st Grade Writing
- 2nd Grade
- 2nd Grade Math
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 2nd Grade Writing
- 3rd Grade
- 3rd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Reading
- 3rd Grade Science
- 3rd Grade Writing
- 4th Grade
- 4th Grade Math
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Science
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade
- 5th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Science
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade
- 6th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Reading
- 6th Grade Science
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade
- 7th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade
- 8th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Science
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade
- 9th Grade Math
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- Adult Literacy
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- AP Biology
- AP Chemistry
- ASVAB Prep
- CLEP Precalculus
- CLEP Spanish
- College Algebra
- College English
- Conversational Spanish
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Science
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- Geometry
- High School
- High School Chemistry
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Homework Support
- Languages
- Math
- Middle School
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Science
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- Pre-Algebra
- SAT Prep
- SAT Math
- Science
- Spanish
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Spanish 3
- Spanish 4
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe everybody can be anything they want to be; you just have to help them believe this.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
First things first: icebreaker time! I will definitely use a good 15 minutes getting to know each other and see the type of interests he or she may have. From learning his/her background first, I could make my next session more personalized with his/her interests.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I help by letting the student know that he/she can trust his/her skills. Students first need to develop confidence in themselves to feel like they can actually learn. A lot of students believe they cannot learn by themselves--they have to be taught everything.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Rewarding the accomplishments is one way!
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would try to understand what this difficulty is. Is it a basic concept that was never polished in the past? Is it the way I explain my method? I will try to listen carefully to what he/she feels the problem really is and find a solution accordingly.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
In the past, I mentored middle school kids and had some cases where reading comprehension was an issue. I would sit down and help them practice conversational skills. I would ask their opinion on a specific idea or ask them to tell me a story every day. These activities helped them visualize situations and retain content, increasing reading comprehension skills.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Play a game that we both know targeting today's lesson-- Bingo for example. Another game that I choose to play usually is possible if we decide to meet at a library or a bookstore. Games are a great way to keep students actively learning and constantly motivated.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Applying activities relevant to their interests. Finding resources and articles that arise their interest, initially. I also find it very helpful disclosing my own personal struggles while in school. When students see that everyone, even their teachers/tutors had, a weakness in their academic path just like them, they can relate to the teacher and feel more inspired.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Flashcards, pop quizzes, and some memory game.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I praise his accomplishments, reward his discipline and effort (maybe with a candy or a special offer to his favorite concert if he is older), and ask him to teach me something related to the subject.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By looking at the student's scores, quizzes, tests, homework assignments, and understanding the type of personality the student has. By understanding what kind of student he/she is, I know how to help. Some students are A students; not everyone struggles with trying to pass a class. Perhaps the student needs more motivation or an outside perspective of his/her current performance. Tutoring is a very individualized discipline, and therefore every student will have a different need.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I level down or level up my lecturing of the student's situation. If I feel like the student is fairly independent, I challenge the student with harder content or exercises. If the student is rather shy and dependent, I help build up the confidence by breaking down the activities to the simplest they can get to decrease anxiety.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
In the past, I have used textbooks, especially if the student has his/her own textbook. I try to stay consistent with the material of his/her class. I also use online sites that offer great tools for teaching, including YouTube videos and specific math sites.