Teaching
Read below to learn more about my teaching methods, ideology, and goals!
K-8 Tutoring
I offer tutoring services for K-8 students in ELA (reading & writing) and math. I also offer homeschool services, such as curriculum development and end-of-year portfolio building. When working with K-8 students, my main goal is to close learning gaps (i.e., pieces of state learning standards that students are struggling to learn or retain). To do this, I use a platform called MobyMax to assess students’ performance in each learning standard within their grade level. Then, I create specific, personalized lessons to help bridge those gaps.
Why is this Important?
When a student falls behind in one learning standard, it often affects their ability to keep up with future education concepts. For example, if a child struggles with addition, this will cause them to also struggle learning fractions, decimals, and multiplication. Filling learning gaps early on helps students perform better in the future.
My Method
I primarily use the “learn, do, teach” method when helping students fill learning gaps. This method targets learning standards and promotes rapid proficiency. And, it is similar to the method used in medical schools! See the chart below to learn more about how this method looks in tutoring sessions.
Learn
We start 2 simple problems that highlight the targeted learning standard. Let’s use order of operations as an example. In this step, I would show the student how to use the PEMDAS (or GEMS, depending on the state) method to solve each problem.
Do
In this step, I provide the student with 4 problems that highlight the targeted learning standard. The first 2 problems are simple and the second 2 problems are more complex. The student tries to solve these problems on their own, but they can ask me questions at any time. For younger students, this may feature “do together” and “try on your own” sections.
Teach
After successfully solving the 4 “Do” problems, and asking any questions that come up, the student is prompted to “teach” me 2 problems. In other words, the student is asked to explain how they would solve 2 problems that highlight the targeted learning standard. “Teaching” others helps the concept solidify in the student’s mind, which provides easier future recall and thus higher proficiency.
Testimonials
“Alex has made a major impact on my child’s educational experience. His work with students is intentional and highly individualized. It shows how much he cares. Thank you, Alex!”
Amber
Parent
“Alex was organized, punctual, structured, and intelligent. He had such an impact on my son that he still talks about him and the activities they did together. Alex followed the rules and guidelines of our home while making each day educational and fun for the whole summer. If I needed care again, Alex would be the first person I would want to hire.”
Holli
Parent
“Alex was a huge help during our first year of homeschooling. He tested our children for learning gaps, made homemade lessons and worksheets to help them fill the gaps, and even helped us build our end-of-year portfolio! We are so grateful for Alex’s assistance!”
Nancy
Parent
Availability & Booking
I am currently accepting new virtual clients for K-8 tutoring! If you are interested in booking tutoring sessions for your child, please send me an email including: your child’s age/grade, desired subject(s), and desired sessions per week. I am looking forward to connecting with you!
Writing
Since I offer writing education for a wide range of ages and genres, my methods and ideology differ greatly from class to class. That said, there are a few key standards that shape my teaching across classes:
1) Writing should be fun!
Weather you are 5 or 55, writing should bring joy. This may look like including “no-stress” free-write assignments to relieve pressure or, for younger groups, making stories silly full of imagination.
2) Everyone has a unique and equally important voice
No one, including instructors, know what stories should or should not be shared. All voices, identities, and experiences are welcome in my classes.
3) Words on the page!
Aside from strictly editing/revision classes, having words on the page will always be praised. In classes, this may look like writing sprints, word count goals, and the “writing it bad” ideology.
4) The creative mind knows no bounds
In all of my classes, students are pushed to access their deepest creative mind. Magical worlds and creatures, absurd comedy, you name it! Some of the best stories come from the pure, unfiltered creative mind.