Todd
Certified Tutor
I'm originally from Arkansas but have been a Memphian for over 5 years. I got into tutoring because any of my success in the classroom is due to hard work. My ACT scores were a product of hours of study, and my grades were something that took consistent systems and discipline. Some subjects come naturally to me, and I've always been into Politics & Government. My greatest assets are technical and upper level writing, Political Science, Government, English and even some public speaking for any students in Oral Comm classes. My papers in Comparative Politics have been acknowledged for their quality by top professors in their field. My specialization in undergraduate studies was Middle Eastern Political Systems and Democratization. I strive to put my students first and develop them as critical thinkers and life long learners. I really believe that my teaching can sharpen your skills and raise your scores.
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Undergraduate Degree: Arkansas State University - Bachelors, Political Science and Government
Reading, Cycling. Guitar, Politics, and spending time with my wife, Charity
- American Literature
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
- College Application Essays
- College English
- College Level American History
- College Level American Literature
- College Political Science
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- High School English
- High School Level American History
- High School Level American Literature
- High School Political Science
- High School World History
- High School Writing
- History
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Reading Comprehension
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- Political Science
- Public Speaking
- Social Sciences
- Social Studies
- Spelling Bee
- World History
- World Religions
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Developing the student is my main goal. My role as a tutor is not to help a student memorize information, but to think critically about the content. When a student can simply and clearly explain the content to someone else, they've got it.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Understand the student's general and specific academic goals, understand how the student learns the best, and begin brainstorming the topic at hand. I believe the biggest goal is getting on the same page with what the end goal is and to dig into the content in harmony.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By listening and providing constructive feedback through questions and competing ideas. My tutoring philosophy is not to answer a question for the student, but to facilitate their thinking. Watching a student struggle isn't easy, but is sometimes necessary. It's what helped me learn.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Speak their language. Take an interest that's seemingly unrelated to the topic at hand and connect it. If we're talking about Comparative Political Systems and that bores the student like crazy, let's turn the various political systems into something they naturally like (sports figures, artists, cultural leaders) and begin analyzing that.