Find a Local Tutor Who Gets It

I believe that learning how to find information is just as important as knowing it, and guiding students through the process helps them retain that information better. When I am tutoring, I try to get my students to love learning. This cannot be achieved through spoon-feeding them. I treat them as equals and set them up to succeed. This helps form healthy attitudes and good habits that continue through their whole lives.As a tutor, I value reliability and integrity. Learning is far easier with someone who is trusted, and I do everything in my power to never give my students or employers reason to doubt my word. I find that if I treat others with respect and honesty, I receive those back in turn.I was an assistant ESL tutor for three years in Italy while I was in high school. I helped students with their homework and taught them conversational English.I was also a volunteer at the CSU Chico Writing Center for two years where I helped students with essays, analysis, and research.

I believe that I have a proven track record in one-on-one tutoring, and have been able to assist a variety of students with a variety of academic needs. Over the years, I have honed my ability to connect with students and allow them to come to a conclusion on their own rather than direct lecturing - something exciting in an academic setting. I have reliable transportation, as well as a less-than-demanding school and work schedule for the coming months. I am willing and eager to take on new students to offer my abilities to a variety of academic needs.Currently, I work for the University of California Santa Barbara as a writing tutor on campus. I have helped a number of students, from first-year to graduate students, including ESL students. I have assisted in writing assignments including English, History, Communication, Women's Studies, Political Science, admissions essays and statements of purpose. In addition, I tutored fellow students in high school in the subjects of Algebra and all English/Writing areas.

First, I am capable of seeing things from multiple viewpoints. This is vital for all forms of teaching, as the goal is to explain things in a way the STUDENT understands.Second, I am also flexible enough to adapt lesson plans to the student's needs. This includes roleplay and real life practice testing to ensure the student is not just regurgitating memorized information.Third, I do not allow my ego to interfere with my job. If the student and I hit a snag, I will work to determine what the problem is, rather than reflexively blaming the student. If I am at fault, I will admit it and change my tactics. If the student is at fault, I will calmly instruct them as to the correct manner of doing things. If the fault lies in the situation, I will work with the student to change the environment.

As a trained Ph.D. candidate in English with years of experience teaching college-level courses and doing doctoral-level research, I know my materials very well and can bring that experience to Grade Potential.In terms of tutoring, at CSU-Fresno and UC Santa Barbara, I have taught in small classrooms all the way to 200-student lecture halls. I have always preferred the more individual scale of one-on-one and small-group tutoring. I even turned my office hours into essentially small tutoring sessions. I have always believed that a lot more learning could occur during a tutoring session than in a large classroom where students lacked individual attention. For me, tutoring is a form of problem-solving wherein my task lies in guiding and helping my students wrap their minds around whatever material is at hand.I have a very strong sense of ethical and professional responsibility towards my students. I will bring to Grade Potential the same level of professionalism that was expected of me at UC Santa Barbara.I first began tutoring in 1996, as an undergraduate student. A local high school needed someone to teach and tutor a group of students for the Advanced Placement French exam, and my French college professor recommended me to them. In my senior year in college, I worked as an English composition tutor for my university's Writing Center. While doing my M.A. in English at CSU-Fresno, I taught Freshman English for the University and, in my spare time, kept tutoring friends and former students on a voluntary basis. I kept the same habit of tutoring friends and other students at UCSB while I was working on my Ph.D. degree and teaching college-level courses for both the English and Asian American Studies Departments at UCSB.

I feel that I would be a great addition to Grade Potential because I have a love of learning that I am excited to share. I feel a drive to expand my knowledge and skillset continuously while working with others to expand theirs. I feel that through working together with Grade Potential I can help to build a more empowered and knowledgeable future that can lead to a better and brighter world for all.

I believe that I would be a great asset to your team because I have so much experience in working with children while leading and helping them. Even younger family members will call me with questions because they enjoy my explanations and how I am able to push them to think. I do not believe in being asked something and just presenting the answer. I push children to problem solve and ask questions when they truly get stuck. Then, I will help, not solve, in their work. I believe this is a very good way to teach and I feel that i can really incorporate this teaching into your system and really help the children who need pushing. Also, I am a fun and energetic person. I am a huge people person. Children are very easily drawn to me because I always have a welcoming smile on my face and always put my full attention on them. I feel as though many people do not give their full attention while working and I am fully capable and prepared to do just that. I will come to work with a smile on my face ready to help and push children in the right direction. I do not take a job or appointments lightly so I know that I will be there every time I should be.

I believe I will make a great tutor through this program because I genuinely enjoy watching others succeed. I have no intention of flaunting my knowledge or baby-sitting and I am certainly not applying just to make a few bucks. I intend to get involved in wilderness leadership and outdoor recreation and believe broadening my tutoring experience will help me reach my goal while also helping others. As I have just moved up here and am currently only taking one class at Santa Barbara City College (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 5-10 pm) I have plenty of free time and am very flexible. I'm also a very punctual person and hate having others wait on me, which I find quite disrespectful.

I have always valued the importance of an education and have put my pursuit for a degree as my top priority. Along the journey, I discovered in order to master the information, I was given, I had to be able to teach it to another. Throughout my academic career, I made a conscious effort to hold study groups to insure I would be in situations where I could teach that material to another. During the process of our study groups, I soon realized how much joy and fulfillment I was receiving from teaching the material to another student. It is my hope to continue teaching to the next generation of students.I was afforded the opportunity to work as an instructional aide where I worked closely with children ranging from first to sixth grade. The students required my assistance with their daily homework.