When it comes to helping students with liberal arts and coaching students to improve their executive functioning skills, Stacy Stryjewski is a tutor to exceed expectations. This is why she is our June Tutor of the Month! Stacy currently works with students to improve their writing, reading comprehension, and executive functioning skills. She embraces the idea that we all learn differently.
Here are some great tips that Stacy has learned throughout her teaching/tutoring experience.
- Focus on the process and a positive outcome will follow. I celebrate small improvements when students incorporate even minor changes to their study habits. This builds confidence and seems less overwhelming than focusing on a final grade. When a student remembers to label her notes or create a “must do” list without prompting, it’s worth some applause even if there are many other hurdles to jump. I make it a point to congratulate her with recognition of her efforts and reinforce that if she keeps making these small daily changes, positive results will follow!
- Reframe the negative. I’ll hear students say “I’m a slow reader,” or “I’m not good with grammar.” I try to reframe those statements so students can see that we all have opportunities to improve in certain areas. My response might be framed: “Why do you consider yourself a slow reader? Who are you comparing yourself to? Why not consider yourself a reader who can always get better? If you label yourself as slow, you might get stuck there! Let’s try to work without labels…deal?! Now, how can you rephrase that?” The student will almost always offer a positive alternative. When we focus on improving, not necessarily mastering, we can make perceived deficiencies a little less scary.
Stacy pursued her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University and her M.S. degree from George Mason University. In her free time, Stacy enjoys exercising and taking frequent trips to the Shenandoah Mountains to hike, cloud watch, and escape the hectic pace of the metro area. To work with a great tutor like Stacy, give us a call at 703-934-8282 today!
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