David S.
Private tutor in Honolulu, HI
Education
University of Hawaii West Oahu
Experience
As a teacher, I am trained and experienced in successfully understanding and interacting with everyone from small children to their teen peers, parents, school authorities, and the general public. As an author, I am trained and experienced in successfully anticipating, understanding, and guiding discourse about subjects that I know much as well as little. 1. My philosophy of education is rooted in Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences. I believe that everyone can learn, but everyone learns best in that “intelligence” which best coincides with the individual’s innate and optimum intelligence. I also make certain to communicate and display the relevance of a concept or lesson to the individual learner. I believe in catering to the intrinsic motivation(s) of my students by establishing and maintaining a positive and encouraging teacher/student rapport. “When learning is made fun, earning is made easier.” 2. An example of a difficult teaching situation occurred for me in the fall of 2010. I was performing practicum in a 6th-grade classroom of Holomua Elementary. I was tasked with teaching algebraic equations to the class. I wrote an LP and attempted to teach the class of 22. Halfway through the lesson, the glassy eyes and silent voices of the class made it obvious to me that I was failing. I didn’t know why; so, I stopped the LP at about midpoint. I had the children write in their reflection folders that I had previously given. I asked them to tell me their thoughts about what I was teaching them. When they broke for recess, I read their reflections. 9 out of 10 had never heard of “order of operations”, which I had had a student write on the white board for me. When the children returned from recess, I started with an unplanned mini-lesson on order of operations. 3. An example of my significant teaching successes occurred in the spring of 2009 during practicum in a 5th-grade classroom at Holomua. I was charged with helping a boy who was, I was told, struggling to read and write and far behind his classmates in such. I gave him an “All About Me” Q and A sheet from which I learned that he loved to skateboard. I went to the library and got an age-appropriate book about skateboarding. We read it together. I then asked him to write about his first time skateboarding. I asked open-ended questions as he read and wrote. Though his vocabulary was stunted, his comprehension was grade level. His writing was indeed atrocious and near-“kindergartenish”, but he wrote and he wrote and wouldn’t stop writing. His writing also improved as he wrote. Perfect practice makes better. I always attempt to empower students and make them active participants in their learning, which invariably improves their performance. 4. A unique aspect of my teaching strategy is that I expect and accept nothing less than each student’s best effort while I never fail to praise and reward the same. I am first a teacher to my students, but I’m also their friend. The children are first my students, but they’re also my friends. I want every one of them to be successful in all that they do, no matter who they are and no matter what they do. I love my students. Accomplishments Chancellor's Award Dean's List Finished undergraduate studies with a 3.58 GPA One of my current students, a 7th-grade boy, recently began to do his homework without being told to do so by his mother, which was a first for him. I had made a point during academic instruction to instill an understanding of personal responsibility in him. I've had MS for 30 years and use a manual wheelchair, which are assets for me as a teacher and friend of my students. Such likewise affords me a unique perspective on and interpersonal relationship with my students-- gifted and challenged, able-bodied and physically/socially challenged. My classroom philosophy is: When learning is made fun, earning is made easier...and more memorable. Experience Academic Tutor October 2011 to March 2015 ClubZ － Tampa, FL This is my current PT employer. I also own and operate my own tutoring service: Christian Tutors Of Hawaii. *Professional and local references available upon request. Education Bachelor of Arts : Elementary Education, 2011 UH West Oahu － Kapolei, HI, USA I successfully completed a HI DOE PLT workshop in 2009.
Availability
Weekdays at any time
Can Meet
Up to 30 minutes away at my regular hourly rate
Hobbies
Reading, writing and "talking story", which is what we call chatting in Hawaii
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