Josh
Certified Tutor
I have always been interested in math and science since grade school. High school gave me the opportunity to take a Physics course and that led me to a path in engineering. In 2008, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville with dual degrees in Engineering Physics and Electrical Engineering. Since then, I have spent some time in the avionics industry, but now I am currently teaching electronics at ITT Technical Institute.
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Undergraduate Degree:University of Wisconsin-Platteville- Bachelors, Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering
Computers, electronics, programming, hardware hacking, cooking, building things, taking things apart, tinkering, extreme couponing, puzzles (anything using my mind and/or hands)
- 10th Grade Math
- 11th Grade Math
- 12th Grade Math
- 1st Grade Math
- 2nd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Math
- 4th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Math
- 9th Grade Math
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- Calculus
- College Algebra
- College Computer Science
- College Math
- College Physics
- Computer Science
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Elementary Algebra
- Elementary School Math
- Engineering
- Finite Mathematics
- Geometry
- High School Computer Science
- High School Physics
- Homework Support
- HTML
- Intermediate Algebra
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Other
- Physics
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- Probability
- Science
- Statics
- Summer
- Technology and Coding
- Trigonometry
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know the student and his/her learning style, what struggles he/she has, and work together to come up with a plan.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Help the student with the difficulties they are having with the material, then build the skills necessary to extrapolate to broader areas to foster autonomy.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I praise students' good work and for applaud them for taking the initiative to ask for help. I try to relate the problem to real life, with a model, demonstration, drawing, or whatever means available.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Determine where the difficulty lies, and share every way I know to conceptualize until the student feels comfortable with the material.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Express why I enjoy the subject, and give examples of the importance and application of the subject.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I ask open-ended questions and quiz the student. When going through problems, I like to have the student show me how they would solve it step-by-step.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I dive in, getting to know the student, and try to trace where the difficulty lies, and then build from there.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I ask students how they learn best and incorporate those methods accordingly.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I am intrigued by the idea that we may be born with the knowledge we gain throughout life. Through our experiences and questions we are asked, we unlock that intrinsic information.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Certain problems are better solved by breaking them down into smaller parts. By splitting text into smaller pieces and understanding them individually, it becomes easier to piece together the written idea.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Determine his/her current skill level and background, how he/she prefers the sessions to go, and come up with a plan to achieve the student's goal.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Help him/her understand the material better by helping him/her break down the problem, working on his/her weaknesses, and improving skills to alleviate intimidation.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I try to find materials that a student can relate to, whether it be a demonstration to illustrate a concept, drawings/diagrams, worksheets, or reference materials. I also try to help the student find or create materials of his/her own.