Jasmine
Certified Tutor
Growing up, I loved getting to know people who were different than me. I had friends from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds which sparked my interest in foreign languages. I would often get my friends to teach me useful words and phrases in their language and try to communicate with the little information I knew. I joined the soccer team in high school to try something new and to have plenty of opportunities to practice my foreign language skills since a lot of the kids who played soccer were from different countries and spoke diverse languages. In May of 2014 I graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia where I received a Bachelor of Art in Spanish and Linguistics. I currently work as a middle school Spanish teacher. As of now my professional endeavors include higher education, multiculturalism and second language acquisition. I received my Master of Education in Secondary Education in August of 2016. I am currently building my teaching credentials with certification to Teach English as a Second Language (TESOL). I will continue to build my own teaching philosophy about language learning as I branch out into the world of teaching by instructing abroad and bringing what I learned back home into the classroom.
Connect with a tutor like Jasmine
Undergraduate Degree: University of Missouri-Columbia - Bachelors, Spanish/ Linguistics
Graduate Degree: University of Missouri-St Louis - Masters, Secondary Education
I enjoy teaching Spanish, learning languages, reading, writing and hiking.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that everyone has the ability to learn and that everyone should have access to quality education.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
In the typical first session with the student, I would try to get to know him/her. I would also ask about his/her strengths in the material and the challenges that the student faces with the content.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I can help a student become an independent learner by encouraging my student to think on his/her own. I would avoid just giving the student the answer, instead I would give them the resources for them to explore and gain knowledge on their own!
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would help my student to stay motivated by becoming a role model for his/her interest, setting realistic performance goals and encouraging my student to set his/her own reasonable goals.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, I would find alternative ways to teach by using a variety of student-active teaching strategies.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
To help students who are struggling with reading comprehension I would use graphic organizers and create reading comprehension questions.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Strategies that I found to be most successful include appropriate assessment and feedback, setting clear goals and using student interest to support learning.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
To help a student get excited about a subject that they are struggling in I would first focus on what the student is most interested in regarding the subject. I would also focus on what the students' strengths are to keep them feeling confident in what they can learn and achieve.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would use probing questions, comprehension questions, and assessments to check for understanding.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
I believe that students should receive the right amount of praise for their efforts and successes. Setting attainable goals for the student can be helpful and even allowing them to set their own goals can build the student's confidence. Students can even choose what they learn!
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I may give a pre-test just to get an idea of what the student already knows. I will also ask the student what they believe they need to work on the most.