Benjamin
Certified Tutor
Hi, my name is Ben. I am a graduate from the University of Bridgeport, a student of International Relations and World Languages.
My speciality is History, Political Science, Economics, as well as writing. I'm extremely comfortable with any of the AP tests in these subjects, and also very comfortable helping improve scores on the writing and reading sections of the SAT or GRE.
I can get your papers up to A+ strength, whether you need someone to help develop strong original ideas, or to simply help you go over your grammar and formatting.
I am also a well qualified ESL tutor for any non-native speakers looking for an edge. I specialize in helping non-native speakers correct their college papers, but would be happy to tutor other non-native speakers for any reason.
I'm a new New Haven resident. My favorite foods are New Haven Pizza, Broccoli, and Coffee (not all together typically), and my hobbies include running Dungeons and Dragons, archery, reading non-fiction, and watching old movies. If you become my client, expect a wry sense of humor, a laid back but professional attitude, and plenty of patience to go over anything. Look forward to working with you!
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Bridgeport - Bachelors, International Political Economy and Diplomacy
- GRE Quantitative: 153
Gaming, Reading, Archery, Dogs
- Adult ESL/ELL
- AP European History
- Business
- College Level American History
- College Political Science
- College World History
- Economics
- English
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- European History
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE Analytical Writing
- GRE Verbal
- High School Economics
- High School English
- High School Level American History
- High School Political Science
- High School World History
- History
- Other
- Philosophical Ethics
- Political Science
- Social Sciences
- Social Studies
- World History
- World Religions
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is that you can't help someone learn by doing the work for them. The best teaching method is to lead students to answers and corrections, not to dictate.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Getting to know a new student is important. It makes everything more comfortable and gives me indications on how I should adapt my teaching style.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Helping students feel intelligent and confident in that intelligence is most important. Anyone can learn anything if they set their mind to it.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Failure is just a step to success. Learning how to accept your losses and come up with the best strategies to move forward aren't just an important part of school, but an important part of life.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Trying to find something that the student understands already, and relate that to the problem at hand. For example, if I had to explain an abstract concept such as "Diminishing Returns," I might use a simple analogy, such as cookies becoming progressively more revolting the more you eat them.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
There are ways to practice reading all of the time. Read every billboard and every sign. Waiting in an office? Read a magazine. Watching Netflix? Put the subtitles on. Reading comes differently to everyone, but the only way to learn is by practicing.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I need to spend some time getting to know my student and looking at examples of their work to get a general understanding of their strengths, as well as what I should focus my attention on. Tutoring should focus on honing skills to an edge, not trying to reinvent the wheel.