Experience Summary
Upon matriculation at Colby, I enrolled in organic chemistry and decided to major in chemistry. I continued my studies in chemistry and additional areas of interest, including math, government, and economics. Before graduating I participated in an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates at UC Riverside. With the guidance of my primary investigator and a grad student, I gained experience doing research into the fabrication of nano-structures (in this case, reusable and gas-specific sensing devices, or an "e-nose"). Students provided a group presentation using PowerPoint and presented their results during a poster session.
I have been tutoring chemistry at Clever Minds in Truckee, CA, since January 2010.
Teaching Style
I begin a lesson by asking a student what he or she knows about the topic. If they have any familiarity with the topic I ask about it and confirm or correct their preconceptions. If the subject lends itself to a real-world example or demonstration, I would offer this for thought. Finally I teach the core concept, connecting it to other concepts already understood by the student.
There is usually more than one way to teach a concept. I take into account the learning style of the student. Written or diagrammatic methods might be more effective than verbal explanations. Pnemonics can be useful, but only if the underlying concepts are first taught.