SESSIONS CREATED FOR “US”

Each tutoring session is built with you in mind. I approach each session holistically. The client (parent), student, and I create a collaborative experience. Punctuality, professionalism, and supportiveness are the foundations of our relationship, and we reciprocate those three principles throughout our sessions. This foundation enables me to individualize each session to precisely address our student’s needs. As I provide our student instruction and practice, I give honest feedback that motivates him. Our collaborative experience continues as the student is held accountable for his performance during each session. Together we will make each online tutoring session better than the last. 

HELPING EACH OTHER REACH OUR GOALS

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

My first objective is to be punctual, professional, and supportive. I know your time is valuable, so each moment is dedicated to balancing the scales of creating a productive and welcoming learning environment. Punctuality is essential for each session, providing us with a powerful platform on which we will continuously build. At the same time, I am keenly aware that certain circumstances require special accommodations. I encourage my clients to keep me abreast of any needs that might arise. Each session is precisely planned to give our student the best learning experience in the time allotted. Our general format during the session is, to begin with, a brief greeting, a review of our previous session, proper tutoring, and a conclusion to the current session.

You can always expect excellence in each session. My professional degrees have enabled me to work in the public and private sectors of high school and college education and the world of research. My thirty years of using and teaching mathematics have taught me to convey my respect for every student regardless of his belief in his mathematical skills. I have never given up on a student; they have always risen to the challenge.  Thus, I am accustomed to creating environments that are warm and friendly yet structured enough that we are consistently directing the momentum toward learning and building confidence.

As most of my clients are not mathematicians, I am committed to supporting them by helping our student to the best of my ability. A key component to achieving that goal is acknowledging that the parent is usually more knowledgeable about his own student’s behavioral patterns and inclinations. I combine my subject matter expertise with the client’s expertise of our student to structure an optimal learning environment for each student. You can expect your general input to be integral to each session, and these qualities – punctuality, professionalism, and supportiveness - are foundational to each session. 

INDIVIDUALIZED ASSISTANCE

I create the sessions with the client’s general input in mind and ensure each student receives individualized tutoring based on his personal history and learning styles. If I can attain this information, I reinforce the rules and steps the student’s teacher recommends. Provided the student responds positively to the teacher’s methods, I continue in that fashion.  If the student does not assimilate one approach, I reserve different approaches to reach learning goals. I watch and listen closely throughout each session to determine which techniques yield the best student response. Any consistent errors noticed gives me a clear indication of which principle to readdress or spend more time practicing. Because our sessions are so fluidly individualized, I prefer not to rush my students toward a deadline but to encourage them toward a deeper understanding of concepts. I also weave the student’s hobbies and interests into our sessions to make sessions more exciting and relevant. As we spend time practicing, I incorporate the client’s general input about the student, the familiar techniques of his teacher, the student's learning style, and the student's non-math-related interests to create a “classroom” to which our student will look forward to returning.

JUDGMENT-FREE PRACTICE

I prefer to allow the student’s natural inclination to direct our learning methods. I ask questions and encourage detailed responses about the student’s experience with the subject matter. Following his natural inclinations or processes learned in class is usually more comfortable and profitable for the student, encouraging them to know they are not entirely lost. Knowing the student’s learning styles helps me choose the better way to present “tricks and tips” to help them forge ahead.  I attempt to familiarize the student with his learning styles as a confidence-building effort. I strive to make each student feel heard and respected for their ideas and preferences. Building a student’s confidence is as important to me as helping him pass the next examination.

In each session, our student will have time to practice, practice, and practice! This is the time that we will develop the most rapport. I will observe the student executing the principles I have explained and demonstrated. This allows me to note weaknesses and provide honest, supportive feedback without intimidation or condemnation. During this time, the student will learn to trust me enough to try to solve problems even when they are unsure of every step in the process. This newly developed rapport will make the student more comfortable making mistakes and welcoming constructive feedback. The student will develop a greater hunger for understanding. 

RESOURCE SUPPORT

As a result of all the directed and stand-alone practices I provide our student, I can readily find areas of concern. Because I am an experienced mathematician and educator, I have access to and knowledge of more learning resources than our student would probably want to exhaust. ☺  I use textbooks, worksheets, interactive assignments, standardized exams, etc. Practice using these unlimited resources provides the raw materials to restructure his comprehension of the subject area properly.

ACCOUNTABILITY

I hold our student accountable for preparing for the session, participating during the session, and practicing outside the session. He should strive to capitalize on every scheduled minute of each session by having all necessary materials already at his workstation before the session begins. Just as some students are shy and prefer not to speak much, I know some students can be chatty. I find the balance during our sessions to make either student comfortable without stifling his personality. Our student must engage appropriately during the session. This engagement allows me to continue to fine-tune the individualization of each session. This is where I discern if learning deficiencies have been overcome or discover others to be addressed. Lastly, because some students need to be more mature to handle this kind of accountability, you, as the client, may be asked to encourage or assist him.   

These tutoring sessions are a joint effort between the student, the client, and the tutor. Working together, we all reach our goals - the student gains an understanding of the subject matter, the client gains peace of mind because of our student’s progress, and I gain another confident and capable student!