| Tutor's Name: |
Donald
|
|
| College: |
---University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, B.A., History, May, 1991
---University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, J.D., Law, May 1997
---University of North Texas, Denton, TX, M.L.I.S., Library & Information Science, Dec. 06
|
|
| Tutoring Experience: |
2 years |
| Location: |
St. Paul, MN |
Approximate Travel
Radius in Miles: |
20 |
 |
from zip code
55107 |
|
Availability: |
Late afternoons, early evening and weekends. |
| Subject Areas: |
|
| |
--Middle School: Reading
--HS Humanities: English Grammar; English Composition; English Literature; History, US; History, World; Civics
--College Humanities & Social Sciences: Creative Writing; English; Government; History; Law
--AP, SAT Subject Test Prep: AP English Literature; SAT English Literature; AP European History; AP Government-US; AP
US History; SAT US History; AP World History; SAT World History |
|
|
| |
GENERAL EXPERIENCE: In many different career settings, I have educated a variety of people in matters which have significant impacts in their lives. As a college student, I tutored other college students in order that they could complete their classes and earned their degrees. As an attorney, I spent hours explaining the law and how it affected their present issues, whether it be a divorce, a child custody or child support problem, a work-related injury, or the distribution of property after their deaths. I also worked for the Wyoming State Legislature where the bulk of my duties involved educating legislators and other state political leaders on the problems facing the state and what possible solutions would look like in
legislation. For many years after those experiences, I worked as a librarian where in addition to answering questions, I had to explain and inform all sorts of patrons about how the information they sought was categorized and what it would, and would not, answer for them.
In all these experiences, the true key was an empathy for and desire to help people. I do not believe there is a single method to teach or assist. Instead, it is a matter of learning about who you are trying to help, then narrowing a teaching approach that will really work for that person, and then methodically advancing, making sure that the person doesn't get lost or confused. Real teaching takes motivation and persistence - both on the part of the teacher and the student. I have worked with people who are at the top of society, but I have also taught and assisted people who are simply struggling to survive. In both cases, gaining their trust and confidence was a necessary first step. To do this, each person wishes to feel that they are understood and that the person trying to help them really cares.
|
|
|
| |
APPROACH TO TUTORING: My style is very conversational, engaged, and entertaining. Boring people is the first step towards failure. Part of the challenge in teaching or tutoring is to make the material come alive for the student. The more interesting a subject is the more likely the person receiving instruction will absorb, understand, and then remember what is being explained. I also like to break things down into fifteen minute blocks and then return to those and build knowledge block by block until the student is fully conversant with each block. Systematic knowledge not only makes a student feel confident, but also begins to imbue the student with the ability to
analyze new information and put it into his existing knowledge structure. With that ability, the student can then begin to teach himself.
|
|
|
If you
have not already done so, you can begin the process of getting in touch with
this tutor or a different one, by completing a Customer Profile form. |
|
