Experience Summary
I spent a summer as a teaching assistant and tutor with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. I was responsible for teaching and supervising the laboratory portion of the high school Chemistry advanced placement class. In the evenings, I was also responsible for the two hour study hall sessions held with the entire class. This involved re-lecturing some concepts and also answering questions with students one-on-one.
Later, I spend a school year as an after-school teacher in an elementary school which involved working on homework for a half hour everyday with 46 different students. Each day was different in terms of who needed help with homework, and in what subject. The 46 students where spread out over 6 grades and all had six subjects each to learn. Working with them included everything from drilling multiplication tables with the third graders, doing long division with the fifth graders, reviewing spelling with the second graders, to practicing basic reading skills with the kindergartners.
Teaching Style
I am a passionate learner. The only thing I am more passionate about than learning is sharing what I know through tutoring. I know the value of education first hand, and I strive to give my students that understanding by being an example to follow and also guiding them in their studies towards success. I feel it is necessary to address the student’s needs academically first and foremost. However, I also feel that creating camaraderie with a student and being a role model to them is an integral part of the educational process. I love working with students one-on-one or in small groups. I feel this gives them more freedom to express their concerns and ask the questions they need to have answered in a setting that may be more comfortable then at school. It also allows me to reaffirm their confidence in their personal progress and encourage them to keep working hard at their goals.