Tutor Spotlight: Molly C.
Meet Molly.
Molly has always loved sharing knowledge and helping others learn. She first started tutoring nine years ago in high school, where she offered reading and homework help to elementary and middle school-aged kids. In college, she began to professionally tutor chemistry to high schoolers and fellow college students. She primarily tutors STEM subjects, including biology, physics, and all things chemistry!
What's one thing you love about tutoring?
I lost seeing my students grow and succeed. It’s always an awesome feeling when I see a student realize they actually do know the answers to the questions they’re working on, even though they didn’t explicitly realize they had started to understand it.
How do you keep students engaged During tutoring sessions?
For both in person and online sessions, the way I try to keep students engaged is by asking questions that end up getting them to be the one who’s “leading” the session. When they ask questions, I don’t just answer, but I ask them to clarify certain bits, tell me what they know so far about the topic, and then work with them to fill in the gaps. It’s almost like stepping back and having them be the ones who are tutoring me on what they know instead of the other way around.
What's one study tip every student should know?
Make your studying fun somehow. Sometimes it can really help to keep you engaged to do simple but fun things like using colorful pens and highlighters, writing notes on fun notecards, or creating your own silly mnemonics. It’s always easier to remember things when you’re also having fun.
What was your favorite class in high school and why?
My favorite class in high school was psychology. I found the crossover between behavior and biology to be really interesting. I think that psychology is a subject that bridges the subjective human experience with objective science and biology, and that’s a really fascinating connection to learn about.
Can you share an example of a student you were proud of for reaching their goals?
Back when I was tutoring during undergrad, I was tutoring a student who was really struggling with chemistry. The biggest struggle she was running into was mathematics, so in our sessions we would really focus on practicing calculations. Throughout the semester she ended up building way more confidence with her math skills and she really took off. It got to the point where she would ask me a question, and then realize she answered herself while trying to explain it to me. It was awesome to watch her build her confidence and meet her goals.
What do you admire about your students?
The thing I admire most about my students is them just showing up! When they’re already so busy with school, homework, and life, it can be a lot to get yourself to go out and study more. I always admire them showing up, being present, and simply putting the effort in to learn more about something they are struggling with.
