Lauren: Waterloo tutor
Certified Tutor
As a former AmeriCorps volunteer, placed in the Metro DC ReadingCorps program, I work at a high needs elementary school in Southeast DC, and as such have really developed hands-on and behavioral management skills with children. Furthermore, I focused on early literacy skills and teaching techniques that I believe make me a good tutor.
My literacy tutor training combined with both my undergraduate degree in English and graduate degree in Gender Policy, makes me a good tutor because I have both the teaching experience and the academic knowledge to help those who need it. Furthermore, both my programs of study were heavily focused on analytical reading and writing, and this has continued to be my greatest skill, and what I continue to develop at higher and higher levels.
My work at the Financial Times, and DBC UK has imbued me with the ability to work hard, learn on the job, respond well to criticism and advice, and manage groups. Working on many editorial boards within a University setting has also given me the skills to manage both a team and my time, as well as being the liaison for the creation and production of said magazines that required time and dedication. My person-to-person skills were augmented through my time in the service industry, as well as being on the boards for many educational journals that require local outreach and bureaucratic procedure.
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Undergraduate Degree: McGill University - Bachelors, English - Cultural Studies
Graduate Degree: London School of Economics - Masters, Gender Policy and Inequalities
- ACT Composite: 33
- ACT English: 34
- ACT Reading: 35
- ACT Science: 32
Running, reading, volleyball, traveling, cooking
- ACT English
- ACT Reading
- ACT Writing
- AP Human Geography
- College English
- College Essays
- Comparative Literature
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- French
- High School English
- Homework Support
- Literature
- Other
- Reading
- Social Studies
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Test Prep
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is patience, interest, and connection. I believe everyone can learn, it just takes the right approach, and I will find that approach!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
The first thing to do is sit and talk with the student to figure out what they feel are their weaknesses and strengths so I can play to their strengths and improve their perceived weaknesses.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Confidence is key, and by finding a way that interests and intrigues a student, subjects will soon become personal passions for them.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Setting goals and targets that I know they can reach.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Talk to them, because the student is the only one who knows what's holding them back. Then, tackle that problem one small increment at a time.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Work on summarizing books and short passages to boost confidence so when reading unfamiliar things, the student can apply rules he/she learned.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
A unique tailored plan that plays to their strengths. That means figuring out what kind of learner they are in the first session.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Find an aspect of it that can relate to something they love or care about. Also, setting reachable goals is a great way to keep students motivated.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Weekly reviews and short recap questions at the beginning of every session.