Tutoring

Educational Counseling

The Environment
Although serious work goes on ‘behind the scenes’ (in the mind of the learner), the atmosphere during private tutoring sessions is very relaxed, friendly, even silly at times. Establishing a mood and relationship where the student feels respected, safe, and capable, is primary; within such a setting, students feel open to challenges and guidance with no threat to their pride, self-esteem, or individuality. The recognition and support students receive in these sessions not only helps them develop intellectually (in terms of problem-solving skills) and psychologically (in terms of confidence and motivation), but provides a model they can internalize and call upon to help them through challenges on their own.
The Elements of Teaching & Learning
While many students come for help with mathematics, the real teaching and learning at Mindful Learning Solutions involves identifying and strengthening underlying skills that allow students to navigate independently from confusion to clarity. The cognitive tools required to embark, persevere, and complete such a journey are introduced to the student both explicitly and implicitly as we work through specific challenges. Customized to each learner’s needs, the teaching and learning experience strengthens general thinking and problem-solving skills, such as abstraction, organization, memory, creativity, and sequential processing, and enhances the learner’s sense of motivation, competence, and confidence.
How is this approach different?
While most teaching and tutoring focuses on the material to be learned, the focus here is on the mind of the individual learner. By working with both school assignments and non-academic cognitive exercises, learners begin to recognize, identify, assess, and enhance their natural cognitive preferences and aversions, habits and blind-spots. Over time, students learn to plan and work their way through challenges with confidence. By becoming familiar and practiced at accessing the full array of resources in their mental toolbox, students learn to competently navigate from ‘Huh?’ to ‘Aha!’
Orientation
In order to identify the unique (often subtle) aspects of each individual learner’s preferences, habits, and challenges, we start with an initial two-hour orientation session. Parents (of minors) attend the first hour, during which time we talk casually about learning, motivation, communication, frustrations, etc. Getting the parent’s and the student’s perspective provides both with a deeper insight into the other’s impressions of the situation, of what each one thinks is ‘working’ and what isn’t. This hour also gives everyone a good sense of my teaching style and philosophy. The second half of the orientation session (without the parents) is focused on puzzles, games, and inventories which allow me to get a sense of specific cognitive elements (such as processing speed, working memory, attention, etc.) as well as psychological aspects (such as level of confidence, determination, inventiveness, etc.) This informal assessment allows me to begin our work with the insights needed to highlight the strengths and address the weaknesses of each student individually, and to develop a customized approach that honors and enhances each learner’s uniqueness.
Private Tutoring & Educational Counseling
While the majority of students are referred for help with mathematics (at all levels), the focus of private sessions is as much on general problem-solving and thinking skills as on the specific topics. Other topics can also be addressed, including science and foreign languages. General study skills can also be focused on, including organization, time-management, research techniques, etc. Most students come once a week, though some come more often. Sessions take place at the Mindful Learning Solutions studio.
SAT and ACT test prep
Doing well on the math sections of both the SAT and ACT involves learning particular problem-solving strategies that can be applied to multiple choice tests. These are quite different from the strategies most students learn in open-ended problem-solving situations. In addition to reviewing (or comprehending for the first time) some essential fundamental concepts and procedures, students who come for SAT and ACT test prep will learn when and how to apply these multiple-choice (deductive) strategies.
Live on-line tutoring
For students who cannot come to sessions at the studio, or who live out of town, on-line sessions are available. With minimal technical requirements (a computer with a built in microphone, an audio output jack, and a headset), we can hear each other, see each other (optional), share documents, images, presentations, use a shared whiteboard where we can work through problems, use graphs, etc. We can also take notes and include graphics, which we can save or print for future shared use.
Fees and Arrangements
Orientation & Assessment session: 2 hours @ $150.
Individual sessions (in person or on-line): 45 minutes @ $45; one hour @ $60.
Alternate financial arrangements can be discussed, if needed.
A glimpse of possibilities
Check out the list of topics described under the Workshops & resources link, to see some of the topics, tools and approaches that can be incorporated into individual sessions.
References
For comments from parents and students, click on BACKGROUND & REFERENCES.