Deborah
Certified Tutor
I am a graduate of Purdue University. I first received an associates degree in Veterinary Technology, than returned to school to receive a BS in Biology, and then an MS in Biology, concentrating on molecular biology. I love science! I currently teach biology at a community college. I have received training on tutoring students in reading using Lindamood Bell methods. I have worked as a full time Title I tutor, helping elementary school students in all subjects. In this position I worked with students who tested far below standards for their age group. At the end of the school year all the students I worked with had reached or exceeded the standards. I love helping students succeed!
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Undergraduate Degree: Purdue University - Bachelor of Science, Biology, General
Graduate Degree:Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis- Master of Science, Biology, General
camping, reading, raising exotic finches, beekeeping, training dogs, playing family games
- Biology
- College Biology
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- High School Biology
- Life Sciences
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Science
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning is the key to success! Not everyone learns in the same way. The key is to figure out how you best learn, and then proceed from there.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Introduce myself, help the student feel positive about learning, and then proceed to find out what help they need from me.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The process needed to come up with the answer is the most important aspect of learning, and not just finding out the answer.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Looking to the future is important. How will this class/material help the student achieve their goals?
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Go back to what the student does know about the subject, and then proceed from there.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Go back to the basics. Determine exactly what the issues are with reading comprehension. Not everyone has the same specific difficulties with comprehension.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I find that if we can make it fun, it's a lot more enjoyable. Then learning seems not so difficult.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I'd help them see some interesting things about the subject.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I'd ask questions to see what the student understands. Or I'd ask them to teach me the material. One of the best teachers I ever had said he taught his dog everything. Of course the dog didn't understand, but if you try to teach it to someone/something else, then you realize the areas that you don't quite feel confident in yet.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I show students how much they do know. They should be proud of that. And then learning new information should make them feel even better about the subject.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I try to understand what they are struggling with, specifically.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Everyone learns in a different way, and it's the instructors job to figure out what works best with each student.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
It depends what the subject is. Writing things down is often useful, or showing graphics.