Kathryn
Certified Tutor
I am a graduate at Montclair State University currently studying to be a general education teacher and a teacher of students with disabilities. I believe that with proper supports all children can learn and can grow into their full potential. I also have three years of experience substituting and have previously worked at Huntington Learning Center.
I studied Creative Writing at SUNY Purchase, which taught me to write, edit, and critique. Because of this, I love to tutor language arts and writing. My background in writing has taught me to be concise and clear, which helps me explain difficult material and break it down. I also know how to encourage reading, and I know that to make my students better writers, my students will need to be good readers as well.
I'm also a great cross-stitcher, and I can solve a Rubik's cube in about two minutes. I love learning new puzzles and crafts.
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Undergraduate Degree: SUNY Purchase - Bachelors, Creative Writing
Graduate Degree: Montclair State University - Current Grad Student, Elementary Education & Teacher of Students with Disabilities
Sewing, cross-stitching, reading, writing
- College English
- Creative Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- Middle School Math
- Phonics
- SAT Reading
- SAT Writing and Language
- SSAT Prep
- SSAT- Upper Level
- Test Prep
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe all children need a safe place to learn, grow, explore, and make mistakes. I believe that flexible planning is the key to supporting all learners. I believe all children have a high potential and a right to be educated. I believe all assessments must fulfill a purpose and give children a way to feel successful.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
During the first session, I will investigate a child's strengths, weaknesses, and interests. We will also create high, attainable, and measurable goals for the student.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
An independent learner must love learning. Gearing learning towards their interests, and ensuring that what they learn is applicable to their lives, will create lifelong learners.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would help a student see everything they are doing right, and help them build upon that. What a student can do does matter.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Break the skill or concept down into different parts, or change the way they're learning it. Many math concepts can be re-conceptualized visually or physically, and the different point of view can help the numbers make sense.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I have to pinpoint the problems first. Is the issue with vocabulary? Phonics? Grammatical structure? After I find the issue, I can solve it, but I need to pinpoint what part of comprehension they are struggling with. If they listen, can they comprehend? If not, the problem may be grammar or vocabulary. If they can understand while listening, but they can't decode words, then the problem is likely phonics.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Patience, practice, and changing how they have learned something. Sometimes, concepts need a different mode of learning. Fractions often need pictures, reading aloud can help with comprehension, or just helping students feel confident, can all help students make sense of things.