"It is possible to explain all of the hardest concepts in physics, math, or computer science to an elementary schooler - and this idea is what I start with when I am teaching. In much of my education, from high school, to the college where I took classes while in high school, to Stanford University, I was predominantly taught starting with more complex formula memorization - without having been taught the more...
"It is possible to explain all of the hardest concepts in physics, math, or computer science to an elementary schooler - and this idea is what I start with when I am teaching. In much of my education, from high school, to the college where I took classes while in high school, to Stanford University, I was predominantly taught starting with more complex formula memorization - without having been taught the more basic foundations. Understanding these foundations, like what force actually means in physics, in addition to how the math around it works, has always been one of my priorities. This is because by understanding these foundations, the math makes so much more sense. When I tutor, my approach is to clarify how something works before going into the formulas around it, and I have found that this helps phenomenally with students' understanding of the subject and their ability to work with the formulas. When I teach material in this way, the areas in which my students were struggling become a lot clearer, and suddenly manageable and understandable.
When I am tutoring, I often use a variety of exercises that are hands-on, and involve visual and experimental approaches. I find the presentation of a particular subject that can best illuminate it, whether it involves such exercises or a clear description and explanation. I adapt all of my techniques to the student I am working with because I think it's really important to collaborate with the student in a dynamic and understanding way through their learning process. In my own experience, I've had excellent mentors in jobs, internships, and research in algorithms and advanced image processing - and I understand how much a good mentor can help. These mentors would listen well, provide me with help while challenging me to learn, and explain things in a way that led to understanding. These are qualities I hold when I teach and tutor.
As a Stanford Electrical Engineer, I was taught computers from the ground up - the full process of learning to build a computer from sc" less...
