Monica
Certified Tutor
My vision is to engage, educate, inspire, equip, and empower students to appreciate the connection of education in Mathematics and Creativity. I provide a safe atmosphere for children and youth to establish a confidence in learning one of the nation's toughest subjects: MATH. I enjoy partnering with parents, educators, and schools to provide students an opportunity to reach their fullest potential and achieve academic success. Opportunities, such as these, are more than a "paycheck" to me because I understand the important role tutors play in closing the achievement gap of Education. My experience reaches from elementary level subjects to high-level college mathematics. I am excited to demonstrate for students the tools I utilized that assisted me in my academic career. My goal is to become a certified middle-school Math teacher and full-time tutor in the next 3 years, and continue learning the needs of our future generation.
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Undergraduate Degree: Armstrong Atlantic State University - Bachelors, Liberal Studies
Traveling with my family; spending quality time with my toddler daughter; puppetry, volunteering as a teacher helper in my spare time, math workshops, mandala coloring pages, concerts and all things music
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Arithmetic
- College Algebra
- College English
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- English
- High School English
- Homework Support
- Math
- Middle School Math
- Other
- Phonics
- Pre-Algebra
- Reading
- SSAT Prep
- SSAT- Elementary Level
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Test Prep
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning occurs most naturally in a positive safe environment. No matter their educational journey, all students can learn if they are accepted for who they are. Mutual respect between students, parents, and teachers is a combined effort in effective learning. A student who sees greatness can achieve greatness. Education and creativity are essential tools to inspire all students to reach academic success.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
First sessions are more uncomfortable for the student than the tutor, so I would use 5 minutes for introductions and an icebreaker activity. I layout the student's or parent's expectations for the sessions, and exchange contact information. If needed, I would provide an assessment to target the student's greatest needs for improvement. Lastly, I would look at the student's notes and provide a template for future note taking.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students become independent learners when they are given useful resources, equipped with proper note taking skills, and provided essential study habits.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
There are three big motivation tactics I use: 1. Setting goals that the student can reach 2. Acknowledge accomplishments 3. Always increasing the challenge
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Provide practice activities, utilize manipulative strategies, and provide additional online resources. If the skill remains difficult, we will move on and then return back to it during the next session.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
First, I would identify the specific struggle with reading comprehension, and then I would utilize the explicit teaching strategies: 1. Direct Explanation 2. Modeling 3. Guided Practice and 4. Application
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I like to first determine what type of learning method the student works best with: audible, visual, or kinesthetic. I engage the student with topics they are most interested in and apply it to the lesson and practice exercises. I encourage the student to build confidence around a subject area, and with confidence comes trust in my ability to aid them in future sessions.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would apply the subject area of concern to real-world life experiences. I utilize manipulative strategies and games to enhance their understanding of a subject. Students also love a reward system that reflects their improvement on homework assignments, quizzes, and tests.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
In order to be sure that a student understands the material I would use practice exercises; role reversal and I become the student and they teach me the material; and written response to confirm proper steps are utilized.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I would build a student's confidence in a subject, by doing a fun warm-up activity that is most like "review" material. The student will have a full understanding of it and this has a positive impact on how the rest of the session will go. If we are working on material that the student is struggling with, I would focus on what they are doing correctly first, and then work on what they need to improve on or thing about differently. Lastly, I would relate the subject to a real-life experience that we could discuss.