Stephen’s Tutoring
About
I've taught Japanese, Chess, Piano and various subjects for more than 10 years. From children to adults, I'm comfortable teaching anyone. I mainly teach online and I usually give free homework if the student wants more practice. Besides lessons I also offer free text support to my students for quick questions/answers. I can usually reply within 24 hours (sometimes even within minutes) and am a very good resource for the subjects I specialize in. I'm very passionate about knowledge and always improving myself as a teacher and lifelong learner.
I enjoy it when my students improve and they have a sense of acomplishment. It's rewarding to watch somebody improve at something as you teach them. I'm also always improving as a teacher as well.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
We first talk about what their goals are with the subject and find out what will work best for them. Some of my students just study with me to keep up their skills and gradually improve without any concrete goals and that's fine too. It really depends on the student. I will try to make the lessons fun and enjoyable for the most part, but if they want me to be strict then I can be strict too. I'm very flexible with how I teach. I also adjust my teaching to my students pace.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
For Japanese: 20 years of learning experience, 10+ years of teaching experience, some translation experience, passed JLPTN2, Kanji Kentei 2kyuu, beat a lot of rpg games in Japanese, has over 500 Japanese books (novels,manga etc) lived with Japanese native speakers also, etc... (I'm pretty fluent and was mistaken as a native speaker born in Japan when I was younger)
For Chess: Been playing for 23 years, beat some titled players and took International Master lessons for a while, been teaching for a few years. I'm at an advanced level.
For Piano: I'm currently not teaching it, but I taught for 10 years, love composing, and played classical music seriously for about 20 years.
I have a lot of experience teaching children, adults, and seniors...
How did you get started teaching?
When I was a teenager about 20 years ago I had some friends that wanted to learn some skills from me and I noticed I was passionate about teaching.
What types of students have you worked with?
From 5 year olds to 83 year olds, I've taught everyone.
I've taught those passionate about learning, and those that didn't want to learn but had to as well.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
My chess student found the move Re5 (Rook to e5, or Rook e5) in a complicated position and it was a novelty or very very strong move.
(I'm not sure what this question is asking, recent event..hmm lol)
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Try a variety of teachers until you find one that clicks with you. But stick with one for at least a few weeks or a month before switching if you must. Sometimes it takes time to get used to each other. Have fun with your learning so you can continue improving and keep it up :) Good luck!