Mike
Certified Tutor
I'm a teacher that lives in Southwest Florida. I've earned a Master's Degree and a Specialist's degree in Education. I have taught 4-6 grades as well as high school math and social sciences, GED preparation, and even worked with teachers and other professionals in preparation for exams. My classes and I have also won several academic awards too! I'm originally from Indiana but I've lived all over! I lived for two years in Japan and 2 years in China. I also have been to many other countries including Korea, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico. My family and I love to travel and we plan a couple of trips every summer. HIstory and culture are very important to us. I take my job seriously and that means that I will do what I have to in order to help you become more successful. I strive to make learning fun but I also want to make the time we have together meaningful and worthwhile.
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Undergraduate Degree: Indiana University-Bloomington - Bachelors, General Studies
Graduate Degree: Nova Southeastern University - Masters, Curriculum and Instruction
Theme Parks, Travel, Fishing, Shooting, Airsoft.
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 1st Grade
- 1st Grade Math
- 1st Grade Reading
- 1st Grade Writing
- 2nd Grade
- 2nd Grade Math
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 2nd Grade Writing
- 3rd Grade
- 3rd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Reading
- 3rd Grade Science
- 3rd Grade Writing
- 4th Grade
- 4th Grade Math
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Science
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade
- 5th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Science
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade
- 6th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Reading
- 6th Grade Science
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade
- 7th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade
- 8th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Science
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- Adult Literacy
- AP Japanese Language and Culture
- Arithmetic
- College English
- College Essays
- College Level American History
- Conversational Mandarin
- Elementary Algebra
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Science
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- Essay Editing
- European History
- Florida EOC Assessment Prep
- GED Prep
- High School
- High School English
- High School Level American History
- High School Writing
- History
- Homework Support
- Human Geography
- Japanese
- Languages
- Math
- Middle School
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Science
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- Persuasive Writing
- Pre-Algebra
- Public Speaking
- SAT Subject Test in World History
- SAT Subject Tests Prep
- Science
- Social Studies
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Test Prep
- TOEFL Prep
- US History
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is to utilize educational standards as a basis to teach a subject while tapping into a student's background knowledge to design an individualized lesson plan that will facilitate the student's success.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a first session with a student, I would get to know a little about the student and what their short and long term goals are. Then I would work with them to develop an educational plan based on the standards and instructional goals developed from the pretest and conferencing.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I will not do the work for the student. I teach methods to learn that promote independent learning. I believe in providing the methodology rather than an answer to each problem.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I believe in positive reinforcement and motivation along with patience and determination is what learning is all about. Mistakes are just another opportunity to learn!
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
It's important to offer several different ways to learn as well as solve problems. In math, there are usually 4 different ways to solve a problem and if presented, most students are able to grasp one way if they are an independent learner.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I teach methods to assist with comprehension, especially since most subjects (including math) include a fair amount of comprehension. Teaching the importance of decoding, fluency, and context clues are important to comprehension.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I believe developing a plan that is a "living document" is important. revisiting the plan periodically and making changes are important to the success of a student. Consistent utilization of strategies throughout subjects is important as well.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Praise is important when students are struggling. It's important to celebrate what they know and praise a student for learning what they didn't know. I like to make learning fun and engaging!
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Students often learn well when they can teach the material to others. I like to have students "teach" me the lesson at the end to show me they are mastering the lesson. Review of the previous lesson during a lesson is important too.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Constant praise and motivation during a lesson is important. Students usually don't respond well to negativity. Starting out with smaller steps in a lesson and gradually growing the lesson while pausing to ensure understanding also builds confidence.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I evaluate a student's needs by reviewing a pretest at the beginning and building a plan with the student (and sometimes the parent). Each lesson will have an "exit ticket" to ensure that the student's needs are met during the lesson.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I am trained to utilize differentiated instruction to accommodate different types of learning styles.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I typically use traditional methods as well as electronic methods during my instruction.