I greatly enjoy working with students, having tutored, taught, and coached students for the past twenty-five years. My degrees are from Harvard College (B.A.) and the University of Chicago (M.A., Ph.D.). During the past six years I have tutored for Wyzant, Tutor.com, Baytutor, The BuddySystem, and TeamUp!Tutors.
When I begin a new tutorial, I take a few minutes to become familiar with the student and her/his interests. After asking about things the student likes to do for fun, I let the student do most of the talking -- usually about non-academic topics, such as sports, games, movies, crafts, etc. -- unless the student prefers to discuss academic interests.
After learning about the student's interests in doing well elsewhere, I ask the student to discuss the courses s/he is currently taking and tell how s/he approaches various courses (or homework problems). I ask about assignments and for the student to describe and evaluate how s/he has been doing. When it becomes clear where the student needs assistance, we get down to work in a spirit of collaboration.
While working together, I usually learn much more about the student's aptitudes, including level of knowledge and ability to learn. I take mental notes about how to improve subsequent sessions, often by finding helpful resources.
I have always marveled at how the love of learning emerges when students and teachers work together and find fun and fulfillment in their teamwork.
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