Dear Parents & Students,
I was born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and lived there through my teens. In addition to schoolwork I played basketball, baseball and went snowboarding on the weekends. After graduating from high school I attended the University of Arizona in Tucson where I majored in Environmental & Water Resource Economics. During this time I became interested in traveling. As a result, I enrolled in school programs that took me to the University of South Carolina and to South Africa. In May 2010 I graduated with a Bachelor of Science and moved briefly to California, then to the Big Island of Hawaii. From there I arrived in Massachusetts in early December.
My experience with tutoring began in college where I took a student position at the University's Learning Center. I worked with college level students, some with minor learning disabilities, on a one-to-one basis throughout the week. Some students came in only as needed while others had recurring appointments to meet with me. Subjects ranged from general studies to advanced undergraduate economic courses to basic study skills. My approach was to allow students to attempt a problem on their own while observing their progression. If the student became confused I would assist by helping them find the resources needed to solve the problem. I try desperately to interfere as little as possible and refuse to do course work for the student. Completing their work would be a waste of time for myself as well as the student, who would come away without understanding the process and lack the ability to solve similar problems. This approach also enabled me to witness the entire thought process. Even if the answer arrived at was correct, we could then discuss different ways of approaching the problem using our combined perspectives.
After college I worked as a tutor in the California Public School System. I met with six students over the course of a school year on a fixed, weekly schedule. These students were male and female, ranging in age from elementary to middle school. My sessions ran parallel with the school teacher's instruction, meaning the material I used was predicated on the school day's lesson plan. We would practice the same concepts and principles but with different questions, figures, and activities. This insured that the student completed homework without my influence, while simultaneously providing practice and feedback on the very skills and strategies needed to complete course work.
Over the last year and one half I have worked for a private education company based in Massachusetts. This position has afforded me consistent experience working with students of all ages in a variety of subjects and circumstances. These prior tutoring experiences, coupled with my own travels through the education system, put me in a unique position to assist current students. Moreover my long-term careers goals lie in the educational field. As a result I value highly each tutoring opportunity for the valuable insight and experience it affords both the student and myself.
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