...BA in psychology and a MS in Special Education from Monmouth University. In addition, I am recently Orton-Gillingham trained. I have worked with students from Pre-K all of the way through college. My specialty is elementary reading and math, although I am trained and able to go beyond. Although I am an avid reader who believes that reading is the most essential building block in the foundation of learners, my favorite subject to instruct/tutor is...
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...by teaching them the aspects of this tutoring that I found the most helpful. This past summer, I taught a preparatory chemistry course for my high school's sophomore class and am currently tutoring high school students in chemistry, biology, and a variety of math subjects. My favorite subjects are chemistry and biology, and I have always enjoyed medical subjects. I always tutor students in a manner that will spark the most interest in them as...
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...and minoring in Child and Family Studies and Education. I am currently wrapping up my teaching certification program teaching American History in a Philadelphia public school. I have extensive experience teaching and tutoring English, History and essay writing with elementary, middle and high school students. I strongly believe learning is a collaborative, student directed process and I love helping students acquire long-term learning skills. My favorite part of teaching is watching students gain confidence and...
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...few simple equations can apply to so many situations, including things we experience every day. My preferred teaching style involves a little bit of give and take. I think I excel at giving students new ways to think about certain problems which may give them a better understanding of the material. I don't feel like it has been a productive session unless I come away having learned something as well. In my spare time, I...
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...tutoring program. Finally, for the past two summers I have worked at the extremely rigorous Breakthrough Collaborative Teaching Internship at their Miami, Florida location teaching 5th and 6th grade science, where I a was again responsible for my own lesson plans, classwork, homework and quizzes. I am very interested in working with Varsity Tutors as I absolutely love working with children, especially in a teaching capacity. I enjoy the challenge of working through a topic...
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...topics I learned, but for teaching those topics to those around me. Most recently, I was a Teaching Assistant for a watershed course at Colorado State University, in which I enjoyed leading laboratory sessions and working through problem sets with undergraduate students. I have a long (6 year) history of tutoring students from Elementary to High School ages as well - in Music, English, Math, and SATs. These experiences have all been incredibly rewarding, and...
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...and SSAT tests. I especially have an interest in teaching subjects in math and science, including Biology, Psychology, Chemistry, and Physics. I also love helping students with essays and helping students structure their writing to convey their ideas in the best way possible. As an undergraduate college student, I am also happy to help high school students develop their personal statements and offer advice about the college application process. As an immigrant from South Korea,...
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...8 year journey! I have worked with 50+ students, mostly in the areas of math, science and standardized testing. After college, I spent two years working as a biology teacher at a top charter school in NYC where my classes ranked #1 by test results. I left teaching to pursue a role as a financial analyst, but I have maintained a full roster of 1-1 private students since. I truly love working with students to...
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...my B.A. in English and History from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts in 2011. Having grown up in Alabama, completed an undergraduate degree in Massachusetts, and a Master's in the U.K., I have tutored students from a broad range of backgrounds in an even broader range of subject areas. I have worked with students in subjects ranging from History and Government to Reading, Writing, and Grammar. I am passionate about helping others to realize their...
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...that all students (regardless of their field of focus) need to build a solid foundation in writing, reading comprehension, grammatical and syntactical knowledge, and time management techniques. Kelsey has experience working with students of all ages and a wide range of subjects through her vast tutoring and editing background; she had worked as a lead tutor at a math-focused center for students ages 5 to 18, had individually tutored numerous students on college entrance exam...
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...science since I was a little kid (I was that weird girl playing with dirt and rocks during recess). I did what I like to call the "Nerd Trifecta" in high school: math team, knowledge bowl, and science olympiad. I've tutored since I was in middle school, and I love finding an explanation or analogy to help someone else really grasp a concept! I'm applying to grad school now, and in my spare time I...
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...& Sexuality Studies. I have been tutoring since 2006, when I joined a program tutoring with a local middle school. Since then, I have worked with high school and college students in a broad variety of subjects. Although I am passionate about all of the subjects that I teach, I have always been especially interested in Biology, and I love working with students to see the big picture connections between the facts of life. In...
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...While a student, I became a certified writing tutor through the Critical Writing Department. Since I completed my writing requirement at the University prior to matriculating, I was the first freshman tutor to be accepted into this selective program. The tutoring program involved a preliminary peer-tutor training course prior to beginning tutoring, in order to certify that I had the appropriate background to provide professional feedback to fellow students on their literary works and projects....
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...each of my students leaves our sessions with greater knowledge and a deeper love of learning. I believe in tailoring creative learning strategies to each individual student's needs. I specialize in ISEE, PSAT, and SAT prep, English, History, and German tutoring, and college essay coaching. Having worked in undergraduate admissions at a top 50 research university for 3 years, I know exactly what top colleges are looking for, and I'm ready to help you get...
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...students. At school, we examined the problems with deficit learning, a type of teaching all too common in schools today. Deficit learning focuses on what a student doesn't know, what (s)he isn't able to do. This kind of instruction can be overwhelming for some students. That's why I've dedicated myself as a tutor to reversing this trend, and encouraging students to recognize the skills they already have, and use them to solve new, bigger problems....
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...specialty of mine because I have worked with students from 1st grade through high school on topics ranging from elementary science to trigonometry test prep, but my foremost strength is the three sections of the SAT. I have roughly three years of experience tutoring and last year taught a test prep class. My approach to tutoring is to identify a students strengths and build upon them through frequent quizzes and reflective analysis. Additionally, having just...
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...I am a biology major and neuroscience minor. Science has been my passion from a young age. I like tutoring because I sincerely enjoy helping others and being able to impart my knowledge and experience. Along with being strong in my curricular classes, I have experience helping and tutoring younger students in various subjects and test prep. As a patient and encouraging teacher, I am adept at helping others reach their educational goals.... My teaching philosophy...
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...worked with college students struggling in early mathematics courses such as trigonometry, algebra and elementary statistics. While at my university I also worked with adult students pursuing a GED. Ultimately, mathematics is not about memorizing formulas but about the logical process of arriving at a conclusion. Ideally, my job will consist of reminding the student of the tools at their disposal and they will make the leap themselves towards their desired answer. This ability to...
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...Marketing in 2011. While completing my undergraduate degrees, I was a teaching assistant for the Introduction to Engineering class. I enjoyed working with the students and seeing them master the material over the course of the semester. Professionally, I have worked both as a programmer and as a marketer. I believe my greatest strengths are in teaching math and helping students prepare for standardized tests, including the GMAT. In my spare time, I enjoy cross...
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The world is not going to end if you do not get a perfect score. A perfect score should simply be a goal to strive towards. I believe in making mistakes. The best way to learn is to correct and review mistakes. This ensures that fewer and fewer errors are made in subsequent performances. Practice and discipline will lead to perfection. Those who do not learn from their mistakes are destined to repeat them.... It's okay...
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Receive personally tailored ISEE- Upper Level lessons from exceptional tutors in a one-on-one setting. We help you connect with the best tutor for your particular needs while offering flexible scheduling to fit your busy life.
ISEE- Upper Level Tutoring FAQ
The Independent School Entrance Exam, or ISEE, is leveraged by independent and private schools for admissions and placement. It is offered for three different levels: Upper, Middle, and Lower. Each test includes questions in multiple-choice format, as well as an essay question. The amount of time given, the difficulty of the questions, and the number of questions is dependent upon the level taken. Varsity Tutors can help you find a skilled tutor who can help your child study for the ISEE Upper Level exam.
The Upper Level is for students who are entering grades 9-12. The test consists of five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and the essay. Your student will have 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the entire exam.
The Verbal Reasoning section consists of sentence completion and synonym items. They assess your child's vocabulary knowledge, and his or her ability to reason. Children have 20 minutes to complete the 40 questions on this portion of the exam. Your child's ISEE Upper level tutor may work with your child to increase his or her vocabulary by utilizing flashcards with grade-level appropriate words, or they may use other techniques based on your child's current level of mastery.
The Quantitative Reasoning section of the exam uses multiple-choice questions to determine your child's ability to problem-solve and to think mathematically. It does not assess specific math skills. Your child will have 35 minutes to complete 37 items. The ability to think critically is a key factor in answering these questions correctly. Your child's tutor may work with your student on identifying what the question is asking, as well as time management techniques.
Both the Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement portions of the exam are designed to measure your child's ability to answer grade-level questions in math and reading. Your child will be given 35 minutes to answer the 36 questions in the Reading Comprehension section, and 40 minutes to answer the 47 questions in the Mathematics Achievement section. These sections are skill-based, and your child's tutor will spend time determining which skills your student needs to focus on in order to pursue the highest score possible.
The final section of the exam is a single essay question, which is not graded by the ISEE. Instead, it is sent to the school or schools identified on the registration form. While it will not be part of the ISEE grade, it is an important factor in admissions for many schools and should be given the same care and attention as the other sections. Your child's tutor may work with him or her on creating a clear and concise outline to answer writing prompts in preparation for this portion of the exam.
It is important to note that the ISEE only looks for the number of correct answers and does not impose a penalty for those items that are answered incorrectly. Because of this, your child's tutor may also work on making educated guesses, as there is no benefit to leaving a question blank.
The Varsity Tutors live learning platform allows you to schedule your child's private ISEE Upper Level tutoring session at a time and location that is most convenient for your schedule. Private tutoring sessions can be scheduled in a virtual setting or in person. To connect with a tutor who is eager to work with your child, contact Varsity Tutors today.
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Recent ISEE- Upper Level Tutoring Session Notes
I first went over some practice tests the student did in the prep book. He did rather well on them. We then worked on an essay the student had started previously, so he finished writing it. After that, we worked on some more complicated square root problems, and finally finished with some synonyms practice.
We started to look the math section and began with geometry. We went through questions on squares, rectangles, parallelograms, rhombi, other quadrilaterals, kites, and hexagons. I had the student find the measure of angles, length of sides, area, perimeter, and diagonals. Some of the questions included other material such as finding the mean or a percentage. She needs to break the problems down into smaller parts and diagrams are very helpful. She is used to working with the metric system but the ISEE includes questions in both English and metric; she's going to need to learn how to convert between the two systems and within the English system. She also needs to make sure to read questions carefully so that she answers the question being asked. We will work together to make her proficient in all these areas.
We made some great progress with math. We're going through each concept covered on the test and reviewing things he forgot. We also did an overview of reading comp strategy and how to look at the questions given. Great work!
It was great meeting this student today! She's a very bright, very friendly student, and I appreciate the amount of hard work that she puts into our sessions. We began by reviewing the way that the ISEE is structured and basic math vocabulary. When it was clear that she could jump into more advanced topics, we immediately started working on percentages and word problems associated with algebra and percentages. She did a great job with translating those word problems into equations.
The student finished the lessons for all sections on the ISEE today. She feels confident about her progress thus far and is using the notes we took as a guide.
