Samantha
Certified Tutor
Hello! My name is Samantha Stein, a Masters in Public Policy Student at the University of Maryland. I am a Robertson Fellow for Government Service and am committed to working for the government for 3 years upon graduation from my masters program! I dream of working for the State Department in Latin American Affairs. I am excited to be a Varsity Tutor and look forward to working with students in a variety of areas including ACT prep, Spanish, English, and Government. I participated in the debate team and the newspaper in high school and continued honing my writing and public speaking skills as a political science major at the University of Florida. I am the oldest of 3, my brother is 17 and my sister is 15. I love to assist my siblings and younger cousins with homework, study tips, and applications. I am also skilled in resume building, cover letter writing, and college essay writing. After volunteering in Spain teaching conversational English to middle and high school students I took a job teaching English to international students at the University of Florida. I loved working with students. I look forward to getting to know your students and assisting them in their academics both online and in person!
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Florida - Bachelors, Political Science and Government
Graduate Degree: University of Maryland-College Park - Current Grad Student, Masters in Public Policy, Specialization in International Security and Economic Policy
Yoga, Dance, Running, Reading, Cooking, Government and politics, Latin and South America, Chocolate, Music
- AP U.S. Government & Politics
- College English
- College Essays
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Expository Writing
- GRE Analytical Writing
- High School English
- Homework Support
- Languages
- Other
- Psychology
- Public Speaking
- Social Studies
- Spanish 1
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Every student is different, and patience is key!
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would first get to know each other, share about myself and learn more about them. Then we would discuss what is causing them difficulty and how I can help, so that I can plan for the remaining sessions.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I will work to be more of a guide and mentor rather than doing the work for the students. Practice and review is more effective than working through problems together.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would build a relationship with the students so that we can discuss their longer-term goals and how this work connects to that. I also think sharing my own stories can be inspiring!
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Work to break the concept down into the basics and slow down the pace. Also adapt the teaching style to what they are most receptive to, whether its colors, repetition, writing it down, acronyms, etc.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I would offer tips and tricks of the reading comprehension trade, including underlining, taking notes, and writing the main idea on the side of a paragraph as they work through the problems.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
To first get to know each other and discuss their objectives or goals in seeking tutoring.