Scott

Certified Tutor

I graduated from Swarthmore College in May of 2011 with a major in Mandarin Chinese and minors in Biology and Philosophy, and I've been tutoring with Varsity since the fall of 2011. I tutor all different subjects and test prep and love tutoring Chinese. Chinese has been my passion since ninth grade, when I began studying the language and culture at Bard High School Early College. Much of my teaching experience has involved Chinese, most intensely during the summer of 2011 when I worked full time at a school in Queens teaching Mandarin-speaking children how to read and write Chinese characters. My first time teaching Chinese was while in college: I tutored two second graders in an after school program. These experiences truly inspired me and I greatly enjoy tutoring. I have also worked teaching English to middle school students in China and tutoring math, science, and reading to elementary school children as part of an after school program in Chester, PA. I currently teach art with a partner to a group of Mandarin-speaking elementary school students. I've been to China twice to study, teach, and travel and hope to visit again soon.

Although based on a core curriculum designed to allow students to reach their goals, my teaching style is also very spontaneous, intuitive, and innovative. I???ve found that an interactive approach works best. When students are engaged with the materials and encouraged to make connections for themselves, both inside and outside the classroom, they naturally self-motivate, learn faster, and remember more. I???ve also found that making use of visual aids and emphasizing practical applications of the material can really help encourage students. In addition to Chinese, linguistics is a passion of mine. I have been independently working on a linguistics project for over a year now involving the Afro-Asiatic language family (which includes Semitic languages such as Hebrew), and I am applying to graduate school in the field this fall. I've always loved Biology and while in college I did research both in the fields of Molecular Plant Biology and Neurobiology.

I have two cats, a fish, and a turtle. In my free time I enjoy painting, drawing, playing saxophone, trombone and violin, writing poetry, gardening, hiking, and spending time with those I love.