I started tutoring in high school where I was a member of my school’s peer tutoring organization. This experience was exciting and interesting for me; I had to simultaneously develop learning strategies for myself while finding creative methods to teach content to peers. Throughout this experience, I would devise different strategies for different subjects and integrate them into my own approach to learning, and then I would recommend various strategies to my tutees.
For learning new languages I found immersing myself in the language as much as possible was key: I would talk, write, and listen as much as possible in a given language. I would write e-mails to the teachers entirely in Spanish or French, watch films of these languages without subtitles, and create a plethora of vocabulary and grammar flashcards.
For math and sciences, I would create study guides with lists of systematic strategies and categorize problem types in order to gain a greater understanding of the subject and develop greater problem solving skills. Such strategies would allow me to present information comprehensively while also allowing me to break down the material into smaller steps for students who were struggling.
No single method works for every student, so I utilize a coaching approach, working with students to develop interesting new strategies to tackle their difficulties in a productive and empowering manner.