
Joshua
Certified Tutor
I am a former classroom educator. While in the classroom, I focused heavily on using online strategies to help my students at home. My passions are in English and English as a second language. While no longer in the classroom, I have never lost my desire to help students. I am a dedicated and knowledgeable tutor. I am committed to helping students succeed.
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Undergraduate Degree: Toccoa Falls College - Bachelors, Secondary Education: English
I love reading good science fiction and fantasy. I write poems mainly about my life with multiple sclerosis (MS). I have also started blogging about how MS impacts my life.
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- ESL/ELL
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Reading Comprehension
- Middle School Writing
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
It is my commitment to the student to lead you into a better understanding and application of a subject. Education is a journey. It can be fun, easy, boring, or difficult. No matter how a student feels about the subject, my passion for it, knowledge of it, and desire to teach it will greatly improve the experience.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I would show students a poem, or story that is open to more than one interpretation. As the students develop their own ideas, I would ask them to prove their answers to me, asking that specific examples are used as evidence.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
First, I would introduce myself to the student. I would then get right into the planned lesson for the session. As the session progresses, I will use what I have observed to modify the flow of the session. For example, if a student has difficulty with one particular section, then I will know to review that again before the end of the session. If the opposite occurs, and the student is becoming bored with how 'simple' it is, then I will be able to heighten the rigor and move more quickly.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would begin the session with encouraging the student without sounding condescending. I truly want students to succeed, and I will sincerely show them how. Yet, I do not guarantee that students will, "Enjoy," a particular lesson, and I state that right at the beginning. However, I do let them know that I will help them do better, achieve more. I do not take offense when a student says, "I'm bored," or, "This is boring." Rather, I take that opportunity to ask the student why it is boring, and to prove how it is boring. Once the student sees that even defending this aspect of a lesson can show mastery, it reinforces their ability and motivation.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would first attempt to find out from the student which aspect of the task or skill is most difficult. Then I would review that particular process or element while rewording it so that the student has a better understanding. For evidence, I would then ask the student to reperform the task showing success.