Stephen
Certified Tutor
In my experience, the best teachers help their students understand the principles behind the material and work from there. Any subject, from Latin to history to math, can be a grueling exercise in rote memorization, but that's not fun for anybody, so that's not how I teach. I try to de-mystify the subject from the outset, starting with acknowledging and building on what students already know - usually more than they think. I've studied a lot of languages (Spanish, Latin, French, Turkish, Attic Greek, Ancient Hebrew, and, of course, English) and I've learned that a lot of the principles of communication are universal. If you're reading this, you already know one language, so you've made the first step toward learning another! I'd love to help you go further. If it's English that's giving you trouble, I'd also be happy to be of assistance. I wrote over 150 pages of independent research in college and was an editor for multiple publications. Helping people improve their writing and make stronger arguments is something I really love.
Connect with a tutor like Stephen
Undergraduate Degree: Princeton University - Bachelors, History
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1560
- SAT Math: 710
- SAT Verbal: 790
- SAT Writing: 800
sports (baseball, soccer, all others), music, writing, reading, running
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Latin
- AP Spanish Language & Culture
- AP U.S. Government & Politics
- AP United States History
- AP US History
- AP World History
- College English
- College Essays
- College Geography
- College Level American History
- Conversational Spanish
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Foreign Language
- Geography
- High School English
- High School Geography
- High School Level American History
- History
- Languages
- Latin
- Latin 1
- Latin 2
- Latin 3
- Latin 4
- PSAT Writing Skills
- SAT Prep
- SAT Math
- SAT Mathematics
- SAT Reading
- SAT Subject Test in Latin
- SAT Subject Tests Prep
- SAT Writing and Language
- Social Studies
- Spanish
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Spanish 3
- Spanish 4
- Test Prep
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Students already know more than they might think. Learn the principles behind what you do know, and the stuff you don't know won't seem so scary.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Figure you what your objectives are and what you already know about the subject. Lay out some goals and get to know a little bit about each other.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Find new angles from which to approach the problem. Sometimes you can study something else that sheds new light on a problem area, or just get a feel for it by seeing it in context.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I remind them to try to explain what they're reading to themselves before looking at the explanations offered. It helps to hear it in your own words, then see which answer is the closest match.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Talk about why it's useful and why it's normal to have a hard time picking it up.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
It helps to think about all the stuff you've already learned how to do. Instead of just revisiting old lessons or questions, try to come up with a way to solve a difficult problem using the skills you already have.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I don't keep grilling them on a concept they clearly already get (although review is crucial). Most importantly, I ask them!