Matthew
Certified Tutor
I graduated from Pomona College with a degree in History and received my Master's in Education from The University of Kentucky. I have been an educator for 11 years teaching English Language Arts with an emphasis on reading comprehension and writing. I have written Common Core curriculum for three different organizations including the District of Columbia Public Schools.
I tutor Reading, Writing, Literature, and History. I love tutoring these subjects because they bring together great stories and allow students to develop opinions and skills that will inform them for life. My style of tutoring is what I call "gradual release:" we will set your goals and practice skills together until you are able to do them on your own!
I love cooking, reading, and watching football and baseball, and enjoy mashing any of my hobbies together (want me to make a huge Super Bowl spread of food? Yes, please!).
I look forward to meeting with you and helping your achieve your goals!
Connect with a tutor like Matthew
Undergraduate Degree:Pomona College- Bachelors, History
Graduate Degree:University of Kentucky- Masters, Educational Leadership
Cooking, Reading, Football, and Baseball
- AP United States History
- AP US History
- College English
- College Essays
- College Level American History
- Comparative Literature
- 在glish
- Essay Editing
- Gifted
- High School English
- High School Level American History
- History
- Homework Support
- Literature
- Other
- Reading
- SAT Prep
- Social Studies
- Special Education
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is to show you the best way to do something, do it together, and then challenge you to do it on your own. We'll even enjoy doing it, I promise!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
First, we'll get to know each other and the material we need to cover. Next, we'll set up a Success Plan with your goals and get to work!
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
My philosophy gradually releases students to be able to repeat their successes without a tutor. Showing you the best way, then doing it together, then making sure you can do it on your own, ensures that pretty soon you won't need a tutor!
How would you help a student stay motivated?
My key is keeping upbeat and energetic, and not letting schoolwork become a slog. It can be fun!
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would dive into my years of experience and literature, and find the best way to attack that concept. I promise to never give up.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
We will develop habits that help students retain knowledge, by annotating the text correctly and understanding the text structure.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
The best strategy is to develop trust and a relationship. We don't need to be best friends, but we both need to trust that we are trying our hardest!
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
The best way to help a student engage is to show and explain why I am so engaged! Literature, history, and writing can be awesome, and I'll show you why!
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
The best technique is to do a skill check-in/assessment at the end of a session. This way, we know exactly where we are at and what we need to do in the future!
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Confidence comes from being able to accomplish goals, so we will set goals that we can achieve and show that we're moving forward!
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I evaluate student needs by doing short assessments and checking which skills or content is missing.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I have learned over my 11 years that there is no one type of student! I evaluate each student as I work with them, and figure out what is the best way forward.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
This will vary, but I like to use short assessments, graphic organizers, texts, videos... whatever is needed to get the job done!