Biology Graduate With a Passion for Tutoring

Elijah B.

I am a recent graduate from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. I majored in biology and minored in chemistry. I graduated Summa Cum Laude and as a Bronze Tablet Scholar. During college I was a part of a club called X-Time, where we developed and taught STEM curriculum to elementary/middle schoolers. I also have two younger siblings, have tutored friends, and have worked as a camp counselor (middle school age) for the past two summers.

I usually like to have my students "discover" where they went wrong, as opposed to me just telling them the correct answer. For instance, when I used to help friends in chemistry I would ask them how they did the problem and to explain their thought process. This helps me identify where the misconception is, as well as doesn't give them the correct answer. I then explain why their line of reasoning is wrong and ask them if they have an alternative solution. If they do and it's correct they quickly learn the correct way, as they know the material and were just unsure. However, if they cannot come up with the correct solution I like to give them hints to guide them to the right answer. If they still can't get it I explain the correct solution. No matter how quickly they get the answer I always like to do a couple more questions to see if they can get it without any assistance.

Much of my academic tutoring experience comes from 1:1 with friends and family. However, camp would range from 1:1 to a group setting: we would sometimes do educational activities in which case I taught the group and then helped those struggling. X-Time was a group setting as a volunteer: we would do a science experiment for the group and then explain what was happening.