Ali
Certified Tutor
My love for working in education began when I started volunteering as a tutor and mentor in high school. Throughout my life, I have fueled my passion for helping students succeed through a variety of careers, including serving as an AmeriCorps member for City Year, supervising elementary tutors and mentors, and am currently working as a high school guidance counselor. I have a BA degree in Psychology from The Ohio State University and a MA degree in School Counseling from Northern Kentucky University. I hope that as your tutor, I can show you ways to make learning relevant, fun, and interesting!
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Undergraduate Degree: Ohio State University-Main Campus - Bachelors, Psychology
Graduate Degree: Northern Kentucky University - Masters, School Counseling
I love to volunteer, take my dog Lily on long walks, watch professional and college sports, and drink coffee. I also enjoy drawing and reading!
- 10th Grade
- 10th Grade Math
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade
- 11th Grade Math
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade
- 12th Grade Math
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 1st Grade
- 1st Grade Math
- 1st Grade Reading
- 1st Grade Writing
- 2nd Grade
- 2nd Grade Math
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 2nd Grade Writing
- 3rd Grade
- 3rd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Reading
- 3rd Grade Science
- 3rd Grade Writing
- 4th Grade
- 4th Grade Math
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Science
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade
- 5th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Science
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade
- 6th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Reading
- 6th Grade Science
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade
- 7th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade
- 8th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Science
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade
- 9th Grade Math
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- ACCUPLACER Elementary Algebra
- ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension
- ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills
- ACCUPLACER WritePlacer
- ACT English
- ACT Math
- ACT Writing
- Adult Literacy
- Arithmetic
- CLEP Introductory Psychology
- College English
- College Essays
- COMPASS Mathematics
- COMPASS Reading
- COMPASS Writing Skills
- Creative Writing
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Science
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE Analytical Writing
- GRE Subject Test in Psychology
- GRE Subject Tests
- High School
- High School Chemistry
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Homework Support
- Languages
- MAP Prep
- Math
- Middle School
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Science
- Middle School Writing
- Other
- PARCC Prep
- Phonics
- Pre-Algebra
- PSAT Critical Reading
- PSAT Writing Skills
- Psychology
- Public Speaking
- Reading
- SAT Reading
- SAT Writing and Language
- Social Sciences
- Spanish 1
- SSAT Prep
- SSAT- Elementary Level
- STAAR Prep
- STAAR EOC Prep
- STAAR Grades 3-8 Prep
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Test Prep
- Vocabulary
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that learning can be fun for anyone as long as the material is relevant and interesting. I believe that it is my job as a teacher and tutor is to get to know my student's personal interests and learning preferences to help him or her succeed.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In the first session, I would hope to spend time getting to know one another before jumping into academics. I would plan activities to learn about one another's interests and passions, the student's preferred learning styles, and to set goals for our future tutoring sessions.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I believe that success starts with the individual. You do not have to be the smartest student in your class to succeed, but you do need to possess skills that contribute to achievement, including: organization, confidence, perseverance, and the ability to think critically. In addition to helping you learn academic content, I can help you develop the skills to be a more independent learner.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I think motivation is something that needs to be learned and practiced. Sometimes motivation is extrinsic, and other times it's intrinsic. Motivation is driven by the goal setting process-- without expectations or goals, there would be no need for motivation. It is my job as a high school guidance counselor to help students realize their potential and to support them in the step by step process of developing and accomplishing their goals. I help students stay motivated by celebrating small victories, reminding them to believe in themselves, and challenging them to step outside of their comfort zones.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Everyone learns differently. I believe it is the tutor's job to help the student discover how he or she learns best, and to try as many different learning modalities as necessary until one clicks for the student. I also believe that we learn best when we feel connected or interested in the content, so as the tutor, I would try to make the information as relevant to the student's life as possible.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
When I work with a student who is struggling with reading comprehension, I first like to assess their fluency. If the student is struggling to read a passage quickly and correctly, it is almost certain that they will not comprehend what they've just read. If fluency is not the issue, I try the following: chunking the text, close reading/annotating, identifying known and unknown vocabulary, etc. If the student is a visual learner, I would utilize a graphic organizer. If the student is an auditory learner, I would read the text out loud first and have them read it out after me. I would also try to select passages that are relevant to the student's life in order to increase interest in the reading.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I think it is incredibly important to have a personal connection between the student and the tutor. I have found that I am most successful with students when we are invested and interested in one another's lives. I believe that once you get to know a student, you begin to understand their learning styles and preferences, which helps immensely in supporting them academically.