Lyra
Certified Tutor
After getting my B.A. in Theater from Macalester College and completing two years of graduate education courses at Hamline University, I discovered a passion for one-on-one tutoring. Now, I am thrilled to be working with Varsity Tutors as a tutor of virtually all K-12 level mathematics (and several other subjects!), in order to bring high-quality, caring, and dedicated tutoring to students in need. I am here to help! Whether a student needs to prepare for a test, expand their knowledge for personal enrichment, or gain some extra practice with the basics, I will always give them my best. What this means is that all of my students get a personalized approach to their learning, based on individual needs and goals. When standardized textbooks and other preparatory materials apply, I use those - when they don't, I don't, and create my own materials instead. I listen carefully to my students and work hard at improving fundamental understanding, so that more than just knowing how to solve problems, they know why those solutions make sense. This allows them greater flexibility and ability to succeed at math in general, all while improving their confidence that math is something they can comprehend, and use, to their advantage. And for students who already know that, then I can simply promise that I will be able to share their enthusiasm. Two years of experience in tutoring math have already taught me so much, and I can't wait to continue to learn from my students, while sharing the knowledge and expertise that I know will help them to succeed!
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Undergraduate Degree: Macalester College - Bachelor in Arts, Theater
Theater, writing, sci-fi, LGBT issues
- ACT Prep
- ACT English
- ACT Math
- ACT Reading
- ACT Science
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- AP Chemistry
- Arithmetic
- Biology
- Calculus
- Chemistry
- College Algebra
- College Biology
- College Chemistry
- College Physics
- General Chemistry
- Geometry
- High School Biology
- High School Chemistry
- High School Physics
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Physics
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- SAT Prep
- SAT Math
- SAT Reading
- SAT Verbal
- SAT Writing and Language
- Science
- Test Prep
- Trigonometry
What is your teaching philosophy?
Every student can do better - much better - with the right combination of parental support, dedicated teachers, and personal initiative. Working as a team, we can accomplish great things!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In a typical first session, I introduce myself to the student and tell them a little bit about who I am and what I can offer, and then I ask them to tell me about themselves! In addition to important background information regarding their personal interests, strengths, and foundation skills, I also ask them about their goals with tutoring and what they are hoping to accomplish. I make sure that my students understand they are part of a team, along with their parents and myself, and that we will all be working together to accomplish their goals. This usually leads naturally into our first round of academic work together.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
The most important step to becoming an independent learner is learning how to ask questions. Identifying gaps in your understanding by asking questions like "Why does this happen/work?" or "How does this relate to other things I've learned?" not only helps a student to master material they've already learned, but also points them directly towards additional learning yet to be done. By teaching a student about such principles and modeling the question-asking process for them, I can help students to develop these kinds of metacognitive strategies and improve their learning.