Christy

Certified Tutor

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Growing up, I attended a small high school and found learning in school challenging. I moved away to college, and that is when the learning gap became evident. College was significantly more demanding than I anticipated, but I attributed any learning deficits to a lack of intelligence. A few years later, I met several inspirational instructors who saw my potential to succeed in the health sciences. They guided me through their courses and taught me to learn and study effectively. I developed a deeper understanding of what it meant to study science, and only then did I fall in love with academia and learning.

While these challenges set me back in my studies, this experience allowed me to find a meaningful passion for teaching others how to learn. Tutoring allows me to help students sooner in their programs and avoid some of the negative experiences I had with academia earlier in my career. I have worked with many types of students, including high school valedictorians and students who have always found school challenging. I taught at a four-year university for eight years but have been a tutor for roughly 12 years. In addition to tutoring, I also advise and mentor students pursuing careers in health sciences, including pre-medical, pre-nursing, pre-physician assistant, and other health-related occupations.

In 2012, I graduated Cum Lade with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design with a minor in Marketing from Northern Michigan University. After graduation, I completed my pre-medical coursework for medical school and applied to graduate school. In 2018, I graduated with a Master of Arts in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Biomedical Sciences. During that time, I was a Graduate Teaching Assistant and earned my first Teaching Effectiveness Award.

TEACHING & RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
In 2018, I started a Doctoral Program in Science Education. My research interests include cognition, metacognition, and problem-solving in undergraduate and graduate medical education. My research centers on understanding student thinking and learning while problem-solving questions on standardized examinations. I taught as a lecture instructor and laboratory teaching assistant and earned my second Teaching Effectiveness Award. I have experience teaching courses in-person and online, and in some semesters, I taught courses with up to 170 students in a single semester. After graduation, my goal is to attend medical and law school under a combined MDJD program and someday open my own clinical practice.


TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
As an educator, the best subjects to teach are those students can relate to the most. Connecting theory and application helps students enjoy learning, thus improving material retention. Learning burdens many students, but I strive to make learning engaging and enjoyable. The more students can understand what they are learning and, more importantly, why they are learning it, the less effort it takes to recall that information later. I work with students to develop their study skills and deepen their understanding of how to learn during and after tutoring sessions. I apply cognitive-constructivism learning theory during our sessions, requiring students to take on an active role during the learning process. How students learn largely depends on how their minds make sense of the material, and that only works if the student is motivated to improve and has a growth mindset.

I use a "Talk-Aloud" learning approach, where students verbalize their thought process as they read through content or solve problems. Talk-Aloud allows me to visualize how the student processes information in their mind. Then, I can identify where they might understand a concept or miss a key detail. If that sounds complicated, it is easier to think of a Talk-Out-Loud as a mind-reading superpower that allows an instructor to "see" what errors students make as they learn.

Learning is a two-way process requiring students to review the material before and after each session. Tutors are great for helping students identify problems, but they cannot possibly make students remember everything covered in sessions. It is up to the student to commit to the learning process, ask questions during each session, and review material often on their own time. My goal as a tutor is to help students develop critical thinking and learning strategies to become better independent learners, which will help them succeed in their programs and life.


TUTORING EXPERIENCE

Standardized exams
- Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
- Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

Coursework
- General Biology
- Cell Biology
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II
- General Chemistry I and II
- Organic Chemistry I and II
- Biochemistry
- Physics I and II (algebra-based)
- Pathology
- Pathophysiology
- Pharmacology
- Medical Terminology
- Neurobiology
- Endocrinology
- Bioethics
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Constitutional Law I and II
- Criminal Law & Procedure
- Business Law