Robert
Certified Tutor
I moved in March 2014 from Indiana to Denver, Colorado after graduating in December of 2013. I earned two Bachelor of Science degrees from Purdue University in Mathematics Education and Business Management. I've been tutoring since 2008 in algebra through calculus right after I graduated high school. While attending Purdue I served as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Mathematics department teaching College Algebra & Trigonometry. I also dedicated a lot of my time in the Math Tutor Room helping students in algebra and calculus preparing them for their midterm and final exams. I earned my Secondary Mathematics Teaching License from the state of Indiana and successfully completely my student-teaching practicum during the Fall of 2013 in Algebra I and II. In April 2014, I received my certification for teaching secondary mathematics in Colorado. I have taught 10 years in Denver Public Schools. I helped my middle school achieve effective status by having one of the largest mean growth percentages in my network. I enjoy tutoring students who are in grades 6-college. I moved to Indianapolis recently and currently work in IPS as a 7th grade math teacher.
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Undergraduate Degree: Purdue University-Main Campus - Bachelor of Science, Mathematics Teacher Education
Tennis, basketball, working out, cooking
What is your teaching philosophy?
I recreate problems that are geared toward student hobbies and interests. I use technology to prove mathematical concepts. I give students a notes sheet after every session that they can use for studying and homework assignments.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know their interests and hobbies, so I make sure that they problems I create are related.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The notes sheet I create with the student can be used to help them be independent.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I have found out that the more I incorporate interests in mathematics, the more likely the student is to be motivated and persevere.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I use pictures and technology, to allow the students to see the mathematics. Then focus on the actual concept.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Keep the session upbeat and allow students to share their ideas in a friendly environment.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Recreate it and make sure they are interested in the topic.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
If they student can explain it in words, then they are able to understand the mathematics.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Start with scaffolded problems that allow student to delve right in. Then take accommodations away one by one, so that eventually the student is answering questions on their own.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I do a bunch of practice problems with them based on their current content. If this doesn't work, I usually ask them.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
The student’s math book and technology.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
We focus on circling important words that allow us to answer the question.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
I usually ask them what they need. Being a teacher, I am able to adapt quite easily.