Carla - Durham tutor






Information About Carla:


Personal Description:

I am a 29 year old PhD student, who will be commencing doctoral study at the University of Durham in Biological Anthropology in October 2008. I am originally from the UK, however I have studied and worked in the United States for approximately 15 years. I returned to the UK in 2005 in order to undertake an MPhil degree in Biological Anthropology from the University of Cambridge. I received my BA in Anthropology and a BA in Hispanic Studies from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, USA. I studied Anthropology for one year at La Universidad de Chile and La Catolica Universidad in Santiago, Chile. Finally, I graduated from high school in the United States as the Valedictorian of the class (top student out of 233 graduating pupils over a four year period). I have since worked for an international non-profit field research institution in the US and UK for approximately five years as a science officer in the disciplines of Social Science and Archaeology, through which I have traveled extensively internationally.



Teaching Experience:

Within an academic setting, I was asked while studying for my MPhil at Cambridge University to be a graduate mentor for the in-coming postgraduate students at Clare College. My responsibilities included providing any necessary advice regarding course selection, department information, or specific academic queries that would arise throughout the year.

Based on my examination results during my undergraduate study, I was asked by the mathematics department to act as a peer calculus tutor, where I would spend an average of one hour a week with other calculus students in helping them to prepare for exams and in completing coursework.

While studying in Santiago, Chile, I was employed as an English Language Teacher (British and American English) within a large telecommunications company and as an English language tutor to the Minister of Mining.

As a high school student, I was a tutor in a progressive first grade mathematics programme where I was teaching elementary geometry to a group of 8 students, ages 6 - 8 years old as part of an educational enrichment programme.



Tutoring Approach:

My approach to tutoring is primarily to listen to the needs of the student, assess what the specific weaknesses are, determine what goals the student has for improvement, and finally develop a tutoring plan that is satisfactory to the student's aims and one that he/she will feel comfortable and confident in undertaking.

I feel that organisation is a key factor in determining the relative success of any student so part of what I would try to instill in a student would be tips and techniques for organising assignments, organising study space, prioritising course requirements, and the mechanisms by which the student studies, even before any book is opened or specific material is discussed. I also feel that I can provide a lot of tips and techniques for memorisation and internalising the information, whether this be pneumatic devices or association exercises.

Finally, I think the most important thing is to show excitement for any discipline that a student is having difficulty studying. Chances are that if a student finds a topic boring, then they are going to lack excitement and dedication to learning the material. It is of the utmost importance to be able to break the information down in a way that provokes interest, makes a personal connection to the student, and provide a real-world example for the topic at hand to be relative and pertinent.



Map showing Carla's location

Qualifications:

  • Doctoral Student, Biological Anthropology, Durham University
  • MPhil in Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge
  • BA in Anthropology, Johns Hopkins University
  • BA in Hispanic Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Further Information:

Availability:  Weekdays (all times)
Types of Tutoring:   Travels to you / From their home / Online
References Supplied?   Yes
Current DBS/CRB Check?   Yes
Additional Languages Spoken:   Spanish, written Latin