Randy

Certified Tutor

My passions are rooted in both the biological workings of the natural world and the creative power of language and the written word. I have a Bachelor's degree in biology and an Associate's degree in English from St. Petersburg College, where I currently work as a laboratory assistant for SPC's Baccalaureate biology program. A few of my professors, and some of my former classmates had suggested over the years that I pursue tutoring work (in writing and in the biological sciences). Woven into the continuum of that timeframe, I'd found that in times I'd offered assistance (in understanding concepts, tackling problems, and editing papers especially) to classmates, my daughter, or the occasional family member or friend, I had experienced a real sense of enjoyment in doing so. So here I am...

I love exploring the natural world (what's left of it anyway) and have spent a lot of time over the years kayaking, hiking, trail-running, snorkeling, and surfing. Some of my favorite biological things include: cephalopods, corvids, ecology, bioluminescence, and behavioral research on highly social non-human animal species (which is actually a bit of a mouthful). I also really enjoy writing poetry and prose (but mostly prose), and I have found over the course of my biology degree that I really enjoy writing scientific papers.

In terms of a tutoring philosophy, or general approach, I find that it's important to discover first what the student understands and doesn't about the topic and the problems being discussed, as well as obtaining an overarching view of a student's strengths and weaknesses in that subject area. This is where actively listening to a student's reasoning and seeing how that student approaches the problems or concepts comes into play. Learning comes through interactions and feedback when "doing" alone is not working. Learning also tends to be much more effective when the materials are presented in an interesting way, or when interesting aspects of those materials are presented alongside what's being worked on and discussed. Both explanatory and visual cues are necessary tools in teaching difficult material. Sometimes a good explanation will do it. At other times having a concept visually presented or having to draw out the problem or concept is what does it. Sometimes both are needed. Other than that, patience and respect are required from both sides in order for these tutor/student symbioses to prove successful.