Matt
Certified Tutor
I am a student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities pursuing a BS in mathematics, as well as minors in creative writing and computer science. While I do not have any formal experience with teaching, I have spent much of my academic career tutoring friends and family to help them succeed in school, and I have personally improved the grades of many of my peers through studying sessions with me by as much as 30%. I am a friendly and casual tutor, but my enthusiasm for helping others to learn is likely my most important quality as a tutor. I would appreciate any opportunity to help you or your child to improve their school performance.
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学士学位:University of Minnesota-Twin Cities- Current Undergrad, Mathematics
- ACT Composite: 34
- ACT English: 33
- ACT Math: 35
- ACT Reading: 33
- ACT Science: 33
- SAT Math: 800
Guitar, Racquetball, Football, Fishing, Music, TV, Movies, and Video Games
What is your teaching philosophy?
The material may be difficult, but everyone is capable of learning it, as long as it is presented in the correct way for the student that is learning.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Assess the student's current understanding of the material and make a plan for what needs to be focused on in future sessions.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By giving them the tools to understand the material on their own rather than simply showing them how to deal with the problem they are currently having.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
With words of encouragement and acknowledging that the material is difficult, but that they can understand it if it is taught to them in the correct way.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Try to figure out what specifically is causing this difficulty, and focus on fixing that issue until the student feels confident with the concept.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Reread the material, and have the student read slowly and carefully on important portions of the reading to make sure they are not missing key details.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Finding out what level the student has already achieved and moving forward from there one step at a time, focusing on the most difficult areas first.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
By showing my own enthusiasm for the subject and doing my best to express that to the student.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Quizzing the student and trying to get them to express what they do know so that I can compare that to what they need to know, and go from there.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
By telling them that the material is difficult, and that they are capable of understanding it, as well as by giving them questions they can answer and building on those.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By comparing what they do know to what need to know, and working to get those two things to line up.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Every student learns differently, and watching the results of different techniques and adjusting my techniques accordingly is the best way to adapt to that student's needs.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Practice tests, flash cards, and tutor resources.