Jessica

Certified Tutor

I have received my Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia with a focus in image and minor in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University. Currently, I am working to get my Masters in Secondary Education, also from LMU. In addition to my Masters, I hope to earn my Teaching Credentials as well. As an undergrad, I tutored for the Academic Resource Center on campus for about two years; I have worked one-on-one with students as well as worked with a group of up to 15 students. In addition to this, I mentored for CollegeSpring, a SAT prep program, during the summer after graduation. At the end of the summer, my student's average scores increased by 200-300 points.

Because I was an art major in college, I am a bit out of practice when it comes to Pre-Calculus and such, but math was my best subject in school and I can pick it up again quickly as I have seen in my experience with CollegeSpring. Math is my favorite subject because solving problems is like solving a puzzle; there are many ways to go about finding the solution but, at least for this level of math, there is only one answer. The subjects I feel the most confident tutoring are SAT Math, Algebra or below, Public Speaking, and Essay Editing/ Writing.

From my experience as both a student and a tutor, I find that the best way to teach students is to leave the pen/pencil in their hands for at least 90% of the time. Although it is vital to give examples and work through problems together, the tutor's job is not to give answers and simply show how problems are done. This may cause students to memorize techniques rather than learn the critical thinking process that allows them to do work on their own. I strongly believe that my job as a tutor is to ask the student questions that will assist them to arrive at an answer on their own. Of course, examples need to be given and I may give more help in the beginning, but the goal is to ween students off help after time. I cannot stand over their shoulder during tests or be there as they go through college so they must learn how to approach work on their own.

Outside of work and school, I enjoy cooking, exercise, and drawing. The way food affects our mood, body, and health intrigues me- which is why I love cooking. In addition to food, a healthy mind and body must have proper exercise. While I may not be the best when it comes to running, I have started weight training and am looking for other ways to get cardio into my routine which includes hikes. Drawing, however, remains my passion. While it is time consuming and I do not have as much time for it as I used to, I love figure drawing, impressionist painting, and illustrating cartoons.