Ali: West Covina tutor
Certified Tutor
I have been a High School Math and Special Education teacher for the past 3 years. I currently teach Algebra 1 and Geometry in Manhattan, but I have also taught 6th, 7th, & 8th grade math and Pre-Algebra. Before teaching I was a tutor at the University of Oregon in all math subjects, some business, Spanish, and economics.
I completed my undergraduate degree in Business Finance at the University of Oregon and then moved to Philadelphia to complete my Graduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania in Urban Education. My hobbies include cooking, running, and enjoying New York city. I recently entered into my first marathon!
In tutoring sessions, I like to first get to know the student and their abilities. Finding out their strengths, weaknesses, and best learning style is crucial to having a successful individualized session. I think it is very important for students to first attempt problems on their own before getting guidance from their tutor. Then, with scaffolding, I will aid students in fixing mistakes and recognizing errors, and model teach specific steps and processes when necessary. I have a background working with students of all abilities, but have worked with students who are behind grade level or struggle in math and have had very positive results. Previous classes that I have taught have grown on average of 2 grade levels in math in just one year.
I really love tutoring because you get to have 1 on 1 time with students who really could use the extra guidance and attention. Additionally, it is a chance for you to differentiate your teaching to be extremely specific to that student's learning style.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Oregon - Bachelors, Finance
Graduate Degree: University of Pennsylvania - Masters, Urban Education
enjoys running, trains for 1/2 marathons, is learning to cook, and likes to explore the city
What is your teaching philosophy?
I really love to have students lead most of the work and examples. I think that through trial and error, students retain more information once they've learned correct steps and processes. This forces students to think critically, and puts the heavy lifting on them, not the tutor.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get to know a bit about them, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and work through some desired problems, taking data as we go.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Reteach things to the student in multiple different ways. Some students latch onto things that others don't. Additionally, some are visual learners, some are auditory, and some are kinesthetic. It is important to adhere to the student on an individual basis.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Annotate, annotate, annotate! Even in mathematics this is crucial.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Model, teach, practice, and assess anything that needs to be learned. Give students opportunities to struggle.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Give foundational skills to build on so that students feel successful before tackling harder content.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
Paper/pen, graphing calculator, computers, videos, etc.