Kriti's Tutoring

Usually, I like to get a feel for how a student learns best, and tailor my teaching style to that. The 4 types of learning styles are visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and reading/writing. I acknowledge that there are many different ways of learning, and some students may respond very positively to one style of teaching vs. another. Thus, in order to make sure that my students understand the material, I try to teach in a style that they will benefit from.

When working with a new student, I try to get a feel for what their personality is like--what motivates and frustrates them. Some students are naturally excited about the learning process whereas it takes others time to warm up to the idea of receiving tutoring. I try to find out what strategies work the best for them and teach them how to apply those strategies to the course they are taking at the time. I strive to build a connection with my students and discover what works best for their way of learning. 

I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Bioenvironmental Sciences, having minored in Biology also. I took many specialized biology courses, especially those pertaining to microbiology and immunology.

I am currently doing an online post-baccalaureate program in medical laboratory sciences, through George Washington University.

I have experience working with students of all ages. 

For a summary of my teaching experience, you can view my LinkedIn profile, or read my response to the question "How did you get started tutoring?"

 K-5th Grade = $15/hour

6th-8th Grade = $20/hour

9th-12th Grade = $25/hour

College Students = $30/hour

Price is dependent on the grade-level of the course that a student decides to take. 

I first discovered that I had a passion for helping others to learn in high school. I would often make study guides and test reviews for other people, typing up my notes and distributing them to other students. Many of the people who I gave my notes/study guides to expressed a strong amount of respect and appreciation for this, but I felt glad that I was able to help in any way possible. I really enjoy helping others and I found that helping people to learn was something I genuinely found fulfilling. I continued to do the same thing in college, providing my notes for other students in the same class as me. 

I got my very first job at Texas A&M University's Academic Success Center. From Fall 2018 onwards, I have been tutoring students. I started out as a Supplemental Instruction leader but switched to tutoring since it was a better fit for my schedule. I tutored students in biology, genetics, business mathematics, statistics, and some biochemistry, until my graduation in May 2019. 

From June 2019-August 2019, I worked as a summer camp counselor through Destination Science. While there, I taught kids valuable skills about science and life, while demonstrating various science experiments. Through this opportunity, I realized that I really enjoy working with younger kids, because it allows me to bring out my creative any playful side while teaching.

Around August 2019, I got a job as a math teacher and after-school care assistant at JEI Learning Center. I mostly attended to the needs of the students and taught them different strategies to succeed in math. This workplace involved having to work with kids in large groups. Around September 2019, I decided I wanted to do private tutoring. After taking one client, I realized that I preferred working with students one-on-one. I decided to promote my tutoring services, taking on more clients either by posting my advertisements or through word-of-mouth. By the end of October 2019, my business had expanded to 10 clients. I was still working at JEI Learning Center, and in November 2019, I resigned from JEI Learning Center to focus my efforts on promoting my private tutoring business. As of now, I am a self-employed private tutor, and I work with many students to improve their grades in biology, chemistry, math, science, and reading. Thus far, I have been very successful. 

To meet my own needs of self-fulfillment and gain more experience, I intend to continue teaching for as long as I am able to. I am considering getting my teaching certification at a later date, and want to teach life sciences or chemistry. 

I have worked with multiple students of all ages.

During my time at JEI Learning Center and Destination Science, I worked with elementary school students. 

While I was at Texas A&M University, I tutored a multitude of college students. 

Through my private tutoring business, I have worked with students from 1st-10th grade. 

I also have some experience working with students who have ADHD, anxiety, and dyslexia. I have also volunteered at a school in Bangalore, India, to teach other students. I've also volunteered at chess camps and taught younger kids to play chess. 

I would say that this question is rather subjective since this depends on the subject that a student is learning and the grade level they are at. The advice I would have to give to a 3rd grader taking a science class would be different from the advice I give to a college freshman taking Introductory Biology. So here is some general advice for everyone. 

1) Read relentlessly and challenge yourself to consume new reading material. Even if it does have hard words. The more you know, the better.

2) If you don't know the meaning of a word/concept, look it up immediately! Google is your best friend. Then find ways to use the info you've gained. 

3) Learn to understand, not to memorize.  Use different strategies to help you learn the material. Write your own questions, make study guides, type up your notes, watch videos, play a game that helps you understand the info, do practice questions--do whatever works for you! Go through the material in a way that actually helps you to learn it. 

4) Take notes, but in a way that helps you understand the material. You can draw webs that connect ideas together, draw your notes, make flashcards, or stick to the traditional way. Above all, just make sure you're able to comprehend what you have written. 

5) If you want to make sure you understand a concept, try explaining it to someone else. Your explanation should be simple, contain key details, and flow in a logical manner. Try to use analogies to make key connections in your explanation. If you are able to explain something to someone effectively, it shows that you comprehend it sufficiently. 

6) Find what you really enjoy doing and what makes you happy, and go with it. School is a time to explore yourself and who you really are. Take classes that challenge you, but enrich you in ways that fulfill you intellectually. Don't simply take a bunch of AP classes for the sake of improving your GPA. In the long run, what you can gain from a class personally, is more important than the grades or GPA points you will earn from it. The insights and skills you will learn from doing something that actually fulfills you will benefit you for a long time. The self-fulfillment you can gain from doing an activity or a class is essential to your own success and happiness. 

Your growth and character as an individual matters more than any class you will take or any grade that you will earn in your lifetime. 

I think it's good for students to think about the following questions.

1) How do you feel about learning? Do you enjoy it? Why or why not?

2) Why have you chosen to undergo tutoring?

3) What method of learning works best for you? Are you a visual, reading/writing, auditory, or kinesthetic learner?

4) What do you do to study for your class(es)? What study habits/skills do you utilize?

5) What sort of student are you, and what are your short-term and long-term goals?

#3,#4,#5 : http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/index.shtml

6) Do you prefer to cover a lot of material in a short time during a tutoring session, or continue at a pace that you feel comfortable with?

7) What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the subject that you are receiving tutoring in? 

8) How do you deal with frustrations, stress, and setbacks during the learning process overall? 

9) What motivates you to learn and what do you like to learn about?

10) What are some things that you would like me to do/not to do?