Alex R.
Private tutor in New York, NY
Education
Freshman Comparative Literature Major at Stanford University
Experience
In 8th grade I volunteered through a JCC program to tutor 4th-6th graders at a New York City public school (P.S. 162) who were not making grade level in math and reading. I was also a peer tutor at my high school, which involved assisting my fellow students in subjects they struggled with where I had some degree of qualification. I tutored several sophomores and freshmen in Mandarin for two years, and a junior in history for 1.5 semesters. This involved devising personal lesson plans for my pupils and coordinating with teachers to track their progress. Here at Stanford I've worked with the Stanford Youth Debate Initiative as a debate coach for high school students at the East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy, teaching kids public speaking skills and debate fundamentals. I scored a 2310 total on the SAT (800 CR, 770 writing, 740 math), as well as a perfect 800 on the US History subject test and a 720 on Literature. My personality directly informs my teaching philosophy, and the principles behind both can be expressed together very simply: mastering new information is life’s most meaningful thing, but that doesn’t mean having fun along the way hurts education. In fact, all the times I’ve tutored, I’ve tried very hard to keep an enjoyable class environment. This goes back to my personality: I really value a sense of humor, and try to lighten my academic experience with appropriate levity. For example, I keep kids engaged by using creative measures such as songs, memory games, and contests. But I also understand the importance of using a serious approach, which ties back to another aspect of my personality: I care deeply about my students, and will do anything to make sure they succeed. Working closely with them, I was able to both improve their grades and develop healthy personal relationships. Thus, I keep my students’ interest by becoming their friend and teacher at the same time, which makes them appreciate and enjoy the academic process even more.
Availability
Weekdays after 11AM, Weekends after 12 Noon
Can Meet
Up to 30 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
My interests include swimming, history, politics, stand-up comedy, creative writing, basketball, Chinese language and culture, cooking and eating.
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