Marco
Certified Tutor
I am a current PhD student pursuing a Doctorate of Science in Chemical Engineering at University of Florida. I currently tutor a variety of math subjects from Algebra 1 all the way up to Differential Equations as well as ACT Math, Biology and Chemistry. I enjoy spending time teaching people who struggle in math how to become better and more confident in a subject most find daunting. Bringing in real world examples to better teach students why what there learning is a big part of my teaching philosophy. I believe anyone can learn anything given a passionate teacher willing to put in the time and work needed. I find teaching Calculus 1 and 2 to be the most interesting subjects to teach as most of chemical engineering is built upon a strong Calculus foundation. Also in my experience students over-complicate calculus and its always exciting to see a student realize its not as hard as they thought. During my undergraduate education I participated in mathematics research applied to chemistry for four years and subsequently have a lot of different perspectives on how to explain math to non-mathematicians. As the middleman between the math department and chemistry departments professors I spent time explaining my work in two different ways. My research was funded by the National Science Foundation under the Mathematics in Life Sciences Fellowship. During my PhD I have taught undergraduates and masters students advanced chemistry, biology and mathematics topics. In my spare time I enjoy East and West Coast swing dancing, along with casual bodybuilding/power-lifting. I also spend quite a bit of time reading a wide variety of novels and mangas. My hobbies reflect my interest in maintaining both a healthy mind and a healthy body, something often hard in a field where you spend 8+ hours/day on a computer.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Missouri-Columbia - Bachelors, Chemical Engineering
- ACT Math: 35
- ACT Reading: 31
- ACT Science: 35
Dancing, Exercise, Hanging out with family/friends
- ACT Math
- ACT Science
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Calculus BC
- Biotechnology
- Calculus
- Calculus 2
- College Algebra
- Genetic Engineering
- Geometry
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- Science
- Statistics
- Test Prep
- Trigonometry
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Reward hard work with positive praise, constantly positively reinforcing them.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Try to look for alternative approaches to the same subject. Also, a real world example can give a different perspective they may need.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Ask them questions pertinent to the material and figure out which sections are harder for them. Then work specifically on those sections.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
The goal should be to try to surprise them with how much they can learn. Constantly working on making small improvements.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Try to find a different way of teaching the subject, bringing in real world examples to spark interest.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Talking with them about key ideas to make sure they can identify what's important. Then giving them practice questions that pull together the key ideas.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Start from something they understand and build from there. Work on constantly making small gains in understanding and point out their progress.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By asking lots of questions. Many students don't realize what they already understand or where they are confused.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By asking plenty of questions. Different students respond to different methods and only through good communication can you properly adjust.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use textbooks I'm familiar with along with online sources to get a broad scope of ways to teach the material. Online sources can provide many real world examples not present in the average textbook.
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is that anyone can learn given a passionate teacher and a little time. Through real world examples and discussions of the key concepts even difficult material can be easily understood.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would discuss with them key concepts in the material they are currently working on. By gauging their current understanding, I can help them develop the areas that they are struggling in.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By teaching them to ask questions and look for examples beyond the textbook. By utilizing a larger scope of resources, for example through the Internet, learning can become much easier.