
Shejla
Certified Tutor
I am a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and hold a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Chemistry from the Graduate Center at City University of New York where I am currently a currently a PhD candidate. For the past three years I have served as an adjunct lecturer of General Chemistry I & II undergraduate courses at Lehman College, comprised of 250+ students. I also hold recitation sessions for 25 students at a time. Additionally, I mentor high school students, undergraduates and graduate students in laboratory practices. I have previously taught laboratory courses in General Chemistry and aided students with their laboratory reports, exams and homework. As an undergraduate student, I served as a note-taker for student with disabilities in their science classes. I assisted them with homework and exam preparation. I also participated in delivering science demos for local middle and high schools as well as tutored local Yonkers high school students in Math. Mathematics to local Yonkers high school students. I have been part of teams organizing science carnivals for pre-K/K children and I still serve as volunteer for science-themed festivals and exhibits. I currently tutor a vast range of courses through 51Թ such as: Algebra and Geometry classes, Mathematics, ACT Science, General, Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, General Biology, CLEP Pre-Calculus and CLEP Calculus, History of Science, Homework Assistance, Test Prep and many more. So far, the experience has been fun and so rewarding. It is refreshing to work with a variety of age groups and science backgrounds. As a hands-on experimentalist, I'm always incorporating real world examples to break down concepts and areas which students struggle with, whether working with a pre-K/K or college student. At the end of the day, we all need encouragement and relatability; that is my teaching philosophy.When I'm not teaching, I practice yoga, run three times a week and take boxing classes at my local gym. As a double-major in History at Sarah Lawrence College, I indulge in TV shows centered in a Victorian England or watch documentaries about Italian renaissance and ancient civilizations. I enjoy audiobooks, especially sci-fi ones. I listen to pop and R&B music as well assome classical tunes when doing ballet at home. I speak 4 languages and I am a citizen of 3 countries. I enjoy travelling and I am looking forward to my next adventure.
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Undergraduate Degree: Sarah Lawrence College - Bachelors, Chemistry
Middle-Ages History and Classic Literature, Motivational speaking, Leadership workshops and Team Work Projects. STEM Advancement and Instruction. Inorganic and Bio-Inorganic Chemistry Research. Hip-Hop music, British Documentaries and TV Shows, Travelling, Fashion, Cooking, Healthy Living, Fitness and Gym Workout, Soccer, Tennis.
- 10th Grade Math
- 11th Grade Math
- 12th Grade Math
- 1st Grade Math
- 2nd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Science
- 4th Grade Math
- 4th Grade Science
- 5th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Science
- 6th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Science
- 8th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Science
- 9th Grade Math
- ACCUPLACER Arithmetic
- ACCUPLACER College-Level Math
- ACCUPLACER Elementary Algebra
- Algebra
- Analytical Chemistry
- AP Italian Language and Culture
- ASPIRE Science
- Biochemistry
- Chemistry
- CLEP Calculus
- CLEP Chemistry
- CLEP College Algebra
- CLEP Precalculus
- College Biology
- College Chemistry
- Elementary Algebra
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Science
- General Biology
- General Chemistry
- Geometry
- High School Chemistry
- History of Science
- Homework Support
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Laboratory
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Science
- Pre-Algebra
- Science
- Test Prep
- Thermochemistry
What is your teaching philosophy?
My philosophy is simple: the student comes first. I try to accommodate any needs the student has when it comes to scheduling, employing different teaching methods (practice questions, recommending certain material, different paces of learning), and listening closely so I can figure out the gaps that need to be filled.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Getting to know the student is imperative. I would be asking a few questions regarding the student's method of learning and resulting performance while employing that method. I would ask the student about the areas/topics he/she is struggling the most with, while trying to crack them at the student's pace and suggest new ideas about how to approach problems that might increase the student's understanding and performance of that particular issue.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By working hand-in-hand with the student, using practice questions, examples, flashcards and other learning tools to tackle different difficulty areas. From experience, encouraging students to state the known and asking frequent questions about the unknown has proven to be the most efficient path towards independent thinking.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Motivation is cultivated by asking questions and wondering about the issues at hand. That drives a student (and me personally), to stay hooked and figure out what the right answer is. Drawing real-world examples and comparing/contrasting them with the problem at hand seems to help student think deeper and come to a conclusion in an easier manner.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I prefer not to give the answer of a problem to a student right away. I always encourage asking very particular questions about the skill/concept. I also like incorporating real-life examples and break down the concept in easier to understand chunks.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Breaking down concepts and drawing easy-to-understand examples. Learning how the student learns is half of the job done.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Make the student understand the importance of that subject's concepts as applied to science and life. Developing methods to break down some of the concepts and getting the answers one step at a time usually accounts for excitement and a feeling of completion on the students' side.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
An instruction book that I have myself found helpful in the past to understand problems. At least for the science subjects that I tutor for, flashcards, practice problems, and online learning websites have proven to be very helpful.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Nothing is impossible. Nobody lacks the intelligence to learn or wanting to learn. Investing time into practicing is the key to being confident. You have to be fully committed to that subject, devoting your energies to it, leads to questions and a general interest to want to do better, which in time develops into a positive attitude.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I work closely with a student by actually asking to verbalize what the needs to learn are, and how a student wants to learn. I never enforce my own methods into a student's learning progress, as different students have different needs and learn at different paces.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I am fully committed to tutoring as a process and to the person I tutor. I make sure I commit to my schedule, meet during the scheduled session, have extra learning methods ready, extending sessions when the need arises and combine online/ in-person tutoring if necessary.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Science instruction books, personal notes from my own classes, flashcards, YouTube, and other interactive learning websites.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
As applied to science subjects, breaking down a practice problem, a question or a paragraph is the first steps. Building two columns, what's given (what I know), and what I need to find (calculate, extrapolate) is what usually follows. If further questions rise regarding what the student should be able to deduce, then taking a step back and reviewing those concepts is my go-to method.