Sofia
Certified Tutor
I am a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of Arizona. I have my BA in European History from UCSC and my MA in Modern European History from U of A, and am currently pursuing my PhD in Modern European History at the University of Arizona. After completing my BA, I joined Teach For America and taught 7th grade Social Studies for two years, earning my Initial Educator's Certificate in the process. Teach For America, professional development through my school, and the Columbia Teachers College Reading & Writing Project all gave me valuable skills for teaching students of all different abilities and readiness to learn. These organizations also taught me how to motivate students and keep them invested in learning.
After deciding to return to school, I began working as an instructor at Sylvan Learning Center, which gave me experience teaching students of all ages in a wide range of subjects. In addition to working at Sylvan, I also have experience as a TA and course leader for students at the University of Arizona taking classes in history. I have taught and tutored K-8 math, reading at all levels (from phonics development to critical anaylsis of texts), study skills, SAT preparation, social studies, and history at the high school and undergraduate level.
While each subject is rewarding in its own way, as you may have guessed from this statement, I love history. Getting students to realize the joys of history and to see it as the fantastic unfolding of human events that it is represents one of my favorite experiences as a teacher. As a teacher, I've learned that every student can learn given the right circumstances. As a tutor and teacher, it's my job to work with the student to figure out how they learn so that I know how to teach them. Education is never a one-size-fits-all endeavor!
When I'm not teaching or working towards my degree, I enjoy spending time with my family, from talking about silly TV shows with my sister to playing video games with my nephews. Whether it's the latest pop-country single or a Tom Waits deep-cut, I also love talking about, listening to, and playing music.
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Undergraduate Degree:University of California-Santa Cruz- Bachelor in Arts, European History
- SAT Verbal: 720
British comedy, playing and listening to music, dancing, and reading
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 二年级的写作
- 3rd Grade Math
- 三年级阅读
- 3rd Grade Writing
- 4th Grade Math
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade Math
- 六年级阅读
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- Adult Literacy
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP European History
- AP U.S. Government & Politics
- AP United States History
- AP US History
- AP World History
- College English
- College Essays
- College Level American History
- College World History
- Comparative Literature
- Elementary Algebra
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- 文章编辑
- European History
- Expository Writing
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE Verbal
- High School English
- High School Level American History
- High School World History
- High School Writing
- History
- Homework Support
- Literature
- Math
- Middle School
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- Phonics
- Pre-Algebra
- PSAT Critical Reading
- Reading
- SAT Reading
- SAT Subject Test in United States History
- SAT Subject Test in World History
- SAT Subject Tests Prep
- SAT Writing and Language
- Social Studies
- Special Education
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- 测试准备
- US History
- World Civilization
- World History
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that every student can succeed with the right strategy. Part of my job is to work with my students to figure out their academic, intellectual, and emotional needs that will all combine to help them become the best possible student. It's only when we know where we need to go that we can begin our journey.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I believe that as a successful tutor, I'll eventually work myself out of a job, and helping students become independent learners is part of that. An important step in students becoming independent learners is making sure they have strategies in place to help them understand new or challenging material. Sometimes, this involves teaching students reading and note-taking techniques. Sometimes it involves brainstorming answers to the question "What would you do if I wasn't here?" when a problem comes up. All of these approaches help students develop independence.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student has a hard time learning a skill or concept, I would break down the skill into its foundational parts. Then, I would make sure that the student understands each of those parts before we put them together into a bigger skill. I might also try teaching it from a new perspective, or try a variety of examples--I usually have whiteboards handy to draw pictures or diagrams for visual learners, for instance. Ultimately, my approach depends on what a student needs. Sometimes, the best approach is simply to switch gears to a different subject for a little while and come back to the problem with fresh eyes.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I think that recognition and praise are really important parts of developing a student's confidence in a subject. Recognizing what students already know how to do, and do well, is helpful. I also think that recognizing when students have the courage to ask for help is really important. Combined, this approach helps students realize that one mistake doesn't undo all of their past successes. Finally, praising positive work habits or approaches helps students keep doing what they're doing right, instead of feeling like they need to throw out everything they're doing when something doesn't go well. As a result, students begin to build the perseverance and confidence they need.