Thomas
Certified Tutor
I have my B.S. in Chemistry, Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, and my J.D. (law degree). I am a patent attorney, which keeps me current and well-versed in a number of subjects. I enjoy working with young people, and put an emphasis on making learning fun and effective. No one student is the same, so I work to figure out what works best for each student. Much of my teaching knowledge comes from my time spent as a teaching assistant in graduate school, coupled with my more recent participation in youth ministry where I taught a class and Boy Scouts, where I was an active member of my son's troop.
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Undergraduate Degree:Western Washington University- Bachelor of Science, Chemistry/Biology
Graduate Degree:Indiana University-Bloomington- PHD, Molecular biology; law
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Chemistry
- College Algebra
- College Biology
- College Chemistry
- Earth Science
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- High School Biology
- High School Chemistry
- Intellectual Property Law
- Law
- Life Sciences
- Math
- Microbiology
- Middle School Science
- 物理科学
- Science
What is your teaching philosophy?
Teaching has to be fun and challenging. At the end of the day, the most effective teachers are the ones who are entertaining and engage students.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Build rapport through a lot of fun, open-ended questions and have them ask the same of me. Figure out their needs, lay out a game plan, and dive in.
如何帮助一个学生成为一个独立的learner?
Teach them effective methods for being independent. Taking notes, drawing things out, making videos/recordings, whatever works for them.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Show them how the material is fun and relevant to them, as well as beneficial to learn.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
将其分解,求出the obstacle(s) is to learning it, and then overcome it through various approaches.
如何帮助学生在r是谁eading comprehension?
Teach them techniques to make reading more dynamic, rather than a drill to start at one point and plow through to the end.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Those that make them the most engaged in the material. It might be asking them thought-provoking questions, or having them explain things to me in a way that make sense to them.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Show them that they can get it in a way that is fun and engaging. Also, point out the benefits of learning the material, and that it's relevant to them.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I am a fan of a modified Socratic method, where I ask questions to lead students down a path to make sure they understand the material.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Show them that no matter what the subject is, they can get it. It might take using approaches they've never been shown or thought of.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Ask them questions to understand where they're coming from, where they're at, and where they want to go moving forward.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Figure out what approaches work best for them. No one student is like another.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Any and all that might be helpful. I like to use whiteboards and draw/write while I talk. Also, I use media (video, recordings, etc.) to engage them.