| Garrett Lowe |
Tests:
ACT, PSAT, SAT, SSAT ; Subjects: Biology, History, Literature
Philosophy:
I believe that effective teaching has three components: listening, trust, and flexibility. While many students are eager to achieve, not all accomplish their goals. For a tutor, the first step is to diagnose the problem by listening to students, determining whether their difficulties are conceptual, methodological or organizational. This dialogue, especially with a student, relies upon trust, since admission of weaknesses is never easy. Finally, since individuals each learn differently, effective teaching requires an intimate understanding of the material so that multiple approaches can be applied. After that, success depends upon practice, so that when a student finally faces the SAT, he or she can do so in a confident, relaxed, and capable manner.
Bio:
A Washington, DC native, Garrett graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English and went on to earn an M.A. from the University of Toronto's Center for Medieval Studies. Chagrined at the prospect of spending decades in the Vatican archives and never seeing the sun again, he began to pursue his interest in biology. He attended the University of Vermont for two years and worked as a field biologist, earning his Ph.D. in biology at the University of Maryland in 2000. For five years, Garrett has worked as a private tutor for local high school students.