My goal is to help others meet their scholastic aspirations.
Learning any subject is all a matter of patience and time.
Tutoring is not just learning a new subject, it also involves
mentorship. At Auburn University, we had a mentor-tutor program
that instilled discipline as well as acquiring the skill of
learning. Every Sunday night we would have sessions to make sure
our students were back in town ready for the next week. And this
was not mandatory, thereby instilling self-discipline in our
During graduate school, I also tutored fellow graduate students. At
this level the focus is on sharpening skills that are already
there. The graduate school mentor-tutor is more of an advising type role
giving students other ideas to tackle their problems OR how to deal with
a "difficult" professor.
In the end, it is all about the journey! You can learn all things with
time and patience. Most of the time it is confidence that keeps one from
learning something new. Most people that succeed have a "never give up"
attitude until they grasp the new concept. This confidence will carry
over into other areas of life.
Connect with a tutor like Orenthral
Undergraduate Degree: Auburn University - Bachelors, Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Degree: University of Alabama at Birmingham - Masters, Mechanical Engineering
Guitar, piano, art, tinkering, jogging
- Algebra 2
- AP Music Theory
- AP Physics 1
- AP Physics 2
- AP Studio Art
- AP Studio Art: 3-D Design
- Bass Guitar
- College Physics
- Differential Equations
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School Math
- High School Physics
- Linear Algebra
- Mechanical Engineering
- Physical Science
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy is "learn by association." The key to learning is connecting similar ideas so things are not so foreign and mysterious.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Is it routine homework or a test? First, we would establish what needs to be done and where the difficulties are.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Each session I will give them keys to learn things on their own and how to relate what they are studying to everyday life.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Fun is the name of the game! Somehow make the experience fun and memorable.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
We would approach the difficult subject at different angles.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension is all about identifying key ideas, keywords, nouns, and verbs.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Basically, keep re-iterating they can do it, if they break it down into small steps.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Find ANYTHING about the subject they can identify with. For example, if they like sandwiches, I would say think of the bread as the switch and the meat as the circuit (if it was an electronics problem).
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Ask questions and let them answer, but in conversation and in a fun way. If yellow and blue make green, then what does blue and yellow make?
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Let them talk freely in the way they understand the subject. Then tweak a word or two to fit the proper interpretation.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
Communication is key; one sometimes has to continually probe and ask the same question twice.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
If they are verbal, communicate with words; if they are visual, communicate with pictures.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
PowerPoint slides, Sketchbook Pro (for drawing diagrams, etc.), Excel for calculations and graphs. And of course paper and pencil.