Debbie
Certified Tutor
Coaching (or in other words, coming alongside people as a tutor) has been a passion of mine for several years. I have coached in many areas of life alongside all ages of students. I have coached in the arenas (no pun intended) of figure skating, life skills, ESL, and Japanese.
My experience, particularly with the Japanese language, has come through my interest in the culture and language of Japan. I studied the language, first at a university level, and then I studied in Japan with an International Language School and one-on-one with indigenous teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to successfully communicate with Japanese people who had no ability to speak English.
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What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that learning a subject should be captivating for the student, and enjoyable. I also believe the student should be able to see and evaluate their growth in understanding of the subject.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Introduce them to the very basics - whether it is a refresher and/or there are some new elements to be absorbed.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can help a student become an independent learner by providing a teaching style that also incorporates their best learning style.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
To keep a person motivated, I feel that realistic goals and benchmarks to show their improvement can be helpful. I am also not afraid to deviate from a lesson plan - to answer real world questions about the subject that are of particular interest to the student.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Repetition is a valuable tool.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I would read with them, and find out where patterns of difficulty emerge.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I have found that either starting with or reviewing the basic elements of the language are the best places to start.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would help them with some real world examples, and maybe go over some elements of the subject that are fun and already motivating to the student.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would use some skill tests.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I like to help by giving realistic small goals - so that the student can see what they have already attained.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I would evaluate the needs by understanding the goal that the student needs or desires to accomplish and then seeing where they currently are in relationship to those goals.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
Usually my lessons are student centered.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use language listening, writing, interaction, questions, vocabulary building, and recall skills tests.