Michael Bubniak
About
From my post interviews at both of my jobs, I was told I'm good at realting to the students and bringing stuggle areas to a place that they can make sense of it. Instead of explaining the mathy math from Mr. Math teacher, I present the problem in a more approachable way
It's nice to see students have that "oh yeah" moment and figure everything out. I also like knowing that I made an impact in there academic career, a thing I think is not as appreciated as much as it should be
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Normally, I would like to have them run through a couple of problems to see where the issues occur/where help is needed the most, then work from there. This also gives insight to how the student likes to solve problems or what their process is for working with a given topic
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
For raw criteria, I have a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics and a Master's Degree in Statistics. For applicable experience, I worked as a TA during my undergrad for 2 years in Elementary Statistics and I was a Professional Tutor at Broome Community College during my Graduate Program.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My wage at BCC was $25/hour but that is not a rigid number. It's up for interpretation depending on the student
How did you get started teaching?
For a requirement to get my Bachelor's, it was required to either be a TA or Tutor and I chose the prior. It was only required to work for a semester but I had fun with it so I chose to work with it for the last 2 years while I was there
What types of students have you worked with?
Mostly college students but I have helped a couple of high school students in my spare time (family friends).
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
One student I worked with at BCC wanted to be a math teacher but struggled grasping Calc 2 topics (in his defense that is not a easy subject). He was a year or two older than me but we recognized each other from a baseball training facility we went to. For a week and change, we hashed out the topics for the final, as it was the last math class he needed so he really wanted to pass but just couldn't get it. I ran into him at a diner a couple weeks later and he passed with flying colors.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Some people mesh well with others for unknown reasons. If possible, research the teacher (facebook, instagram, etc.) to get to know them better. If there is a shared interest, it might be a easier person to work with
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Have a general idea of what is needed. Obviously, that is easier said than done as if they knew the problem and why they have the problem, they probably wouldn't need a teacher. But, try to narrow down where the issue is, as it will both help the teacher know what to help with and might trigger a light bulb for the student