All of
Taskeen’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
Taskeen’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
Drawing
I have a bachelors in Fine Arts and also am an active artist, have taught art in schools and private lessons. I can teach almost any medium on any surface at any age level. The students will develop and explore their own creativity while learning skills and techniques using pencils, chalk, pastels, charcoal. They will learn to scale, shape, shade and create compositions with still life, pictures, portraits and any topic of interest. I teach keeping in mind the age, experience and ability the child has. I have many students who have now graduated as artists.
Elementary (K-6th)
I have tutored a number of students in elementary level including my own son. My students come to me when they struggle with certain subjects, my job is to improve their understanding of the subject and do better with their performance in school without a struggle. Many have achieved A grades and graduated with honors including my son.
I have thorough knowledge of the California elementary curriculum. I have taught the subjects K-6th grade. I create lesson plans and activities that are fun and engaging! I will be preparing them for middle and high school. I focus on the child's weak areas and make sure they are up to par with the elementary standards.
I have 3 years in class experience with elementary level up to 6th grade teaching, the student count of up to 25 children at a given time. My experience with tutoring elementary outside of school time one on one with a student on an hourly basis on the subjects which need improvement, I have been doing this for five years plus on a part-time basis. Each grade is taught with preparation for the next grade level.
Elementary Math
Mathematics or any other subject is actually fun, provided one understands the logic behind the subject. Math not only increases our ability to calculate, but the principles can be applied in real life which helps with planning strategies, evaluations, and analysis all of which are essential for decision making. I have taught many students who were not able to perform well in math and science. However, my teaching techniques will not only remove their fear or confusion of the subjects but they will enjoy them. Creative tools and hands on methods work wonders with young minds.
Painting
I am an active artist, and a CFO for a nonprofit art association in Fremont. I currently exhibit publicly, my work has also been photographed by Tricity news paper in the bay area 2011. I have a bachelors in Fine Arts and can teach almost any medium, while oil and acrylics are used with most paintings. I also teach water color and ink on different surfaces. I can do group workshops or individual lessons. The subject matter can be anything of interest to the student, however basic drawing is a prerequisite or enroll with me in a drawing class prior to painting. I will teach all methods of painting with different tools and brushstrokes. Its a fun process with rewarding results. I can teach all styles from impressionism to abstract. I have taught in the Fremont Unified School District Elementary schools with the recreation program implemented by the City of Fremont.
Phonics
Identifying and learning to read with sounds, the beginning sound and ending sound. Teaching to read with consonant sounds, vowel sounds, reading rules, short vowels and blends of sounds. Using visual cards and pictures with the letters a child can learn to read quickly with the help of sounds.
The goal of teaching phonics is to help children learn and use the alphabetic principle - the understanding that there are systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds. Knowing these relationships helps early readers recognize familiar words accurately and automatically and "decode" new words.
If phonics instruction begins in kindergarten, it should be completed by the end of first grade. If it begins in first grade, it should be completed by the end of second grade. My students learn it in half the time.
I use tools to enhance and make learning fun, children don't realize they are in a class, it's a play day for them. Games, puppets, musical chairs, cards, charts with colors, hands on toys marked with words help them learn while they play. Songs on phonic word development are another favorite tool My students love learning because I make it fun for them. Each week we focus on a new letter pattern. They have the letters on their desk and they move the letters around to make words, progress is quick and before you know, they are reading on their own.
I have taught phonics for 3 years to pre-schoolers and kindergarten children for 3 years and to older children who have reading problems or are behind in elementary school programs.
Public Speaking
Public speaking requires confidence, overcoming anxiety and ability to focus, address the topic clearly,vary vocal pace, tone and value at the same time engaging the audience with some light humor, smile and without being monotone engage the public in a response with feedback and be able to tell the story without diverting and connecting withe the audience.
For young children, it is best for them to begin with recitation of small interesting stories or poems until they learn to master voice command and body language.
I begin by teaching students to address audience etiquette. We create a posters as guides to remind students of proper audience conduct, such as to listen carefully, focus on the speaker, no talking and asking relevant questions when appropriate.
We use flash cards for points on topics, and also written essays when necessary.
Emphasize gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice. Give students plenty of practice perfecting these facets of speech.
Use shorter speaking assignments with immediate feedback. Allow the audience to give commentary. I teach my students to use constructive criticism and reevaluate their speech at a later date.
I teach the importance of knowing the audience when writing a speech. I remind students that crafting a speech for the audience’s level of conservatism, religious views, political views, age and even class will enhance response. I try to place students in groups when possible and distribute mock demographics to each group.
I teach different delivery methods. For practice giving an impromptu speech, have students pick a topic from a hat. Give them a minute to gather their thoughts before giving the speech. Mostly I make sure the topics do not require any major research this makes it less complicated in the beginning, as our goal is to speak not research. When practicing manuscript speaking (reading aloud), I make sure the students maintains eye contact throughout most of the speech.
I teach different types of speeches to the students,Include not only the four main types--demonstrative, persuasive, expository and commemorative--but also various tones within these categories. Examples of different tones are humorous and serious.
Different speech types will require slight variations, but all rubrics should include points for gestures (hand and body movement), facial expressions (eye contact, eyebrow movement, smiling), tone of voice (adequate volume for the room), audience consideration and thorough coverage of the topic.
My goal is for the student to learn to document their speeches in note form and be able to speak with confidence in any place or position especially in classroom setting, presenting their project or report, this will prepare them for public speaking and students will gain an understanding of why learning public speaking is important.
I have taught public speaking to elementary school kids age 6 to 11years age for 5years and conducted debate clubs at middle and high school level.
Reading
Comprehension is the ultimate key to reading. While developing an understanding for the subject, the student will learn to apply grammar and vocabulary to the fill in blanks and answer passage questions. It is important to test the student to assess the progress of the understanding they develop of reading and overcome any anxiety of tests. Exercises with fill in the blanks from a key bank are also helpful in developing reading skills and understanding.
Your child will enjoy reading and grasp the theme of the comprehension passage, as well as develop writing skills.
Social Studies
Elementary level social studies are best learned with projects that involve the student with multi-media, puzzles on the topic, charts, pictures and drawings, three dimensional projects to build in group projects.
Most textbooks on the subjects provide exercises to accommodate the curriculum and incorporate ideas to expand knowledge. Maps and timelines are great tools to express visual information, I use a lot of pictures and visual aid to describe information, it helps the student remember better when they are tested in school.
Testing is a way to check how much they have learned, students overcome testing anxiety when they are confident they know the material and subject content. I make sure they know it well and are confident they can answer any question.
I have tutored and taught Social studies for over 8 years with California curriculum books and private school curriculum (Core Knowledge) in elementary level and middle school students.
Study Skills
One of the most useful lifetime skills that I can share with my students is to promote good study habits. I have found that teaching one study skill each day as part of the opening moments of class, as a transition activity, or as part of the close of class, is effective and not too time-consuming.In fact, the student will save time when they know how to study because they will not have to review material over and over throughout the term.
I will show students how to organize data and develop the skills to apply the cues to the material and retain the data. Management of time and resources is also vital for success in learning efficiently.
I teach the students organizational skills. Help the students organize their notes and assignments. The students should learn to use calendars, how to make to-do lists and how to organize their work. Binders and spiral notebooks help with organization. There are many different ways to organize.
Color coding and color highlighting in addition to many other tools are some of the ideas I utilize to help students organize.
It is important to set goals, and meet them, I help the student realize this commitment will help them achieve the results they desire.
Skills I teach include using an assignment book, write all assignments into the book daily, and check them off when completed.
Estimate how long it will take to complete each assignment and help them plan their schedule accordingly.
I set performance goals for their assignments and estimate how much effort it will take to do that well. This helps them learn to divide study time effectively.
Students learn to plan ahead. They should start working on major assignments or reviewing for major tests well ahead.
Increase their concentration time At first they may be able to concentrate for only 10 minutes, this will increase with time and progress.
Review class notes and add details, make corrections, and highlight the most important information.
Improve reading skills by having them read non-fiction and fiction reading assignments.
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using the context or by looking them up in a dictionary and writing them down.
Effective reading techniques such as SQ3R, where the reader:
Surveys: Looks over the material before beginning to read to obtain a general orientation.
Questions: Writes down questions about the material before beginning to read.
Reads through the material in the normal way.
Recites and Writes: Writes down or gives the answers to another person.
Reviews: Goes over the material several times before being tested.
I teach how to organize their thoughts before beginning a written assignment, and write at least two drafts.
I make the student proofread and check for success or failure in answering the purpose of the assignment, legibility, neatness, spelling, complete sentences, and punctuation errors.
If the student can learn to predict test questions as they study for tests, they perform better overall as they grasp important data immediately and focus.
I encourage to space out studying time over several sessions instead of cramming the night before. A few hours of study spread over a week is better than studying five hours the night before.
I review time management skills. To have good study skills a student must use time wisely. Time management skills include scheduling a time and place to study, planning their weeks to make time for extracurricular and school commitments, setting goals and tracking their personal progress. Three important categories are materials management, time management, and information/idea management. All these can be learned.
Another vital requirement is that students should get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Less than six hours of sleep causes the mind to wander and students may have a hard time remembering what they are studying.
I have taught study skills to high school students for 3years, and elementary students from 3rd grade to 6th grade for 2 years.I have also taught young adults study skills to prepare them for college level and continuing education course exams, on a one on one level. My students have shown excellent results in tests after learning study sills with me.