Phillip
Certified Tutor
I enjoy being on the other side of education as a tutor while still improving my own understanding of the subject.
Upon graduating from college, I developed tutoring skills while helping high school students prepare for their SAT II Subject Exams, covering wide ranges including math, biology, and chemistry. I was responsible for elaborating on answers using relevant figures and innovative examples, creating catchy mnemonics, and solving problems from students' point of view. As a tutor, I remained accessible but maintained an appropriate distance to earn students' respect, and five out of ten students improved their scores by more than 200 points. Through these teaching experiences, I have learned not only to become a teacher from the students' perspective, but also what it takes to be an effective educational provider and a mentor.
While taking six medical school courses throughout my graduate school program, I have been able to practice and enhance teaching methods by organizing study groups that regularly conducted review sessions before exams, highlighting important concepts made during the lectures, sharing concise notes and outlines, bringing up pertinent and innovative questions, and academically stimulating my peers without any unwelcoming pressures. Through these learning and teaching environments, I have directly experienced what interactive measures really foster healthy learning environments.
With these experiences and my avid passion, I am confident I will be a valuable asset to your student.
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Undergraduate Degree: Boston College - Bachelors, Biology, General
Graduate Degree: Georgetown University - Masters, Physiology
Soccer, Photography
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- AP Biology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- College Algebra
- College Biology
- College Chemistry
- Geometry
- Graduate Test Prep
- High School Biology
- High School Chemistry
- Honors Chemistry
- Korean
- Life Sciences
- Math
- MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Physical Science
- MCAT Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- SAT Math
- SAT Mathematics
- SAT Subject Test in Chemistry
- SAT Subject Test in Korean with Listening
- SAT Subject Tests Prep
- Science
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
Great teachers engineer learning experiences that put students in the driver's seat and then get out of the way.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I will build rapport with the students to build relationships quickly and to gain their trust and confidence.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By constantly asking questions, I will help the students engage in the lesson. I am going to foster an environment where students can do the heavy lifting. I will provide example questions for students to apply what they have just learned.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I will break down the lesson into chunks so the students can continue to get a sense of accomplishment. I will grade the work and compliment the students for their hard work.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I will ask why the student is having a difficult time understanding a skill or concept. By trying to understand the struggle from a student's perspective, I can figure out a solution to help them.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I will ask the students' circle the difficult vocabulary and ask them to look up the definitions and memorize the words. Then, I will ask the students to incorporate reading into their daily routine to help them improve reading comprehension.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I like to provide visuals for the students. Many students are visual thinkers, and I like to provide diagrams for the students to make a connection between the abstract knowledge they have just gained, and the drawing in front of them.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I will try to break down the class into smaller intervals, and write the schedule in the beginning. Rather than an entire hour, fifteen minutes looks more manageable, and the students will concentrate more if I provide a more tangible agenda in front of them.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I will give out practice questions to review what they have just learned. Students tend to nod their heads even if they don't have a clear understanding of the material. By questioning their knowledge, I can check their understanding of the material.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
By complimenting their progress and making connections to real-life examples, I want to build a student's confidence in a subject. I want the students to know how their hard work can be applied in the future and guarantee success. I want to help the student dream about their future!
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I can evaluate a student's needs by directly asking her about her weaknesses. Then, I will provide example questions and evaluate a student's performance. If the student is struggling in a particular area, I will spend more time understanding the problem from her perspective.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I can adapt to the student's needs by respecting their own study style. By keeping an open mind, I will try to observe from the student's way of learning and try to assimilate.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Before I meet with my students, I ask the materials they want to go over. Then, I find relevant questions and informative videos on the web.