Magali
Certified Tutor
I have a deep love of language, and would love to share it with you! I hold the dubious of honor of having taken the most languages simultaneously in my high school's history (five), and won translation awards in college for my Latin and Ancient Greek work.
I studied classical languages at New York University, and followed it through to a Master's Degree in Latin and Greek at Florida State University. My thesis paper explored the vocabulary of human sacrifice in Virgil's Aeneid, which was unfortunately not as interesting as you would expect from the topic. I have taught Latin at a university level in a small class setting, but by far my favorite teaching experiences have been one-on-one tutoring.
During the day I work in accounting, but when I'm not at work I strap on a pair of skates and play full contact roller derby. I also spend a lot of time at the skate park working on new tricks, and dabble in leatherworking, sewing, metal casting, and programming.
Connect with a tutor like Magali
Undergraduate Degree: New York University - Bachelors, Classical Studies
Graduate Degree: Florida State University - Masters, Latin and Greek
- SAT Composite (1600 scale): 1510
- SAT Math: 790
- SAT Verbal: 720
- AP Latin
- College English
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Foreign Language
- High School English
- Languages
- Latin
- Latin 1
- Latin 2
- Latin 3
- Latin 4
- Other
- Summer
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Everyone can connect with language, but you have to find the right point. I work with students to find something that they can use to bridge that divide. Whether it's bawdy Latin poetry or discovering how to speak in a long-dead language, there's something for every student.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I want to know more about you! Tell me what you're working on, and what's working for you. Once I know what you can do well, we can move into what you're having trouble with. If you're having trouble answering that question, we might start with a brief assessment so that we're on the same page. From there, we can work out a plan to get you to where you want to be.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
The most effective way to prove to both yourself and your tutor that you understand a concept is to explain it in your own words. For languages, I might ask you to write a story using the grammar or vocabulary we've been working on. If it's math, I would ask a student to walk me through a problem as though I were in their shoes.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
By focusing on their strengths and working outward from there. I work with students to set attainable goals, like learning the first declension or memorizing all the vocabulary from a list. I maintain a positive attitude, and try to help my students do the same.