I have over thirty two years teaching experience in a classroom and a clinical environment to include: Secondary English grade 8 gifted through grade 12; gifted enrichment grades 5, 6, and 8; debate, drama, journalism including the school newspaper and the yearbook; compensatory reading and writing, World History, 7th grade; Special Education remediation for the adult population adjudicated into state care; multi-handicapped, severe/profound mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed; Sponsorship of the Literary magazine 1997-2002; sponsorship of the International Thespian Society Troupe 0306, 1996-2002, Sponsorship of the Gibbs High School Academic Team earning a third place ranking in the county in 2004, sponsorship of the Student Newspaper, The Gibbsonian, 2004-2005, Sponsorship of the Largo High School Academic team 2006-2010, sponsorship of the Largo High School Literary magazine, the Kaleidoscope, 2007 to 2016, the Packer Press School Newspaper 2010 to 2016.
I feel strongly that all can learn but what makes the learning a challenge is when the questions are not answered. Guidance from the tutor or teacher will assist the learner in discovering the content when the questions arise.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that every child has the right to learn and receive a quality education. Every student who enters the classroom should feel safe, comfortable, and be engaged in the learning process.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Introduce myself, and then review the lesson or assignment. I would ask the student what areas are most problematic for him/her.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students can become independent learners when they teach the assignment or task to me. I can help them with that by shared reading and discussions about what has been read. In addition, self-editing will help with essays.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I will help the student stay motivated by sharing with the student his or her success to the point of needing assistance. Then, I would have the student look at the end result - what will happen upon conclusion of the assignment. The outcome of the task will cause success.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I will reteach the skill or concept a student may have difficulty with by focusing on the vocabulary first. Learning the language of the assignment will help the student understand the assignment.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Vocabulary and reading for context clues is a major component in developing reading comprehension. Thus, building vocabulary strength will help with reading comprehension.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Reviewing the assignment, and then looking over the questions prior to beginning the reading. Using highlighters or post-it notes to point out key terms, and then managing a self-edit before completion. These steps are things I will share with the student as we begin a session.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
One of the ways I help students get excited/engaged is by showing the student what the final outcome might look like. Having the student discuss the assignment as we review the work may also help the student engage in the task.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
The techniques I use to ensure that my students understand the material is to have the students repeat the directions to me, and then repeat key points of the material through discussion.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Confidence is best built, in my opinion, by showing the student his/her strengths. When a weakness is determined, showing the student how to correct the error will also help the student gain confidence.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Determining a student's needs will be based on the assignment the student is struggling with and what the requests are from either the parents, teachers, or student.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Adapting to the student's needs can only be done, in my opinion, once tutoring has started. Through observation, I will be able to determine if the student is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. If my student is a kinesthetic learner, using a computer will help with the tactile component of learning. Auditory may need to have more discussion and or shared reading. A visual learner will be more successful with independent reading and then a review.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
In addition to a computer or tablet, I will use a dictionary, post-it notes, highlighters, and notebook paper. Dependent upon the assignment, I may also have sample writing assignments that show good quality writing as well as poor quality writing. These types of materials will be used when working with students needing tutoring in composition.