PrepNow Tutor - Harvey S.
Patient and thorough, Harvey received his BA in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his MBA in international business from Drexel University, and his certification in K-12 special education from Eastern University. After graduating from college, Harvey initially lived in France and tutored English as a second language. When he returned to the U.S., he worked as a career education counselor until transitioning to managing non-profit programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities. In 1994, when Harvey became a HealthCare consultant training nurses in Medicare and rehabilitation issues, he discovered his passion for teaching and desire to work in a public education setting. He ultimately entered the public education field as a non-traditional teacher through the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows, an affiliate group of Teach for America, and since 2005 has taught in the Philadelphia School District as a special education teacher. Harvey has also been teaching as an adjunct professor in the master's in education program at Cabrini University since 2010 and has been professionally tutoring test prep since 2005.
“Aside from my years of experience as a test prep tutor, what makes me a great educator is my ability to identify specific learning issues and using the appropriate teaching strategy for each student's particular learning style,” Harvey says. What he loves most about test prep is observing the students' self-confidence grow as they discover their ability to succeed and as they meet their score goals. His pedagogical philosophy is based on the concept of student-centered learning, recognizing that “uninterested students are unengaged students to the learning process.” Harvey also takes guidance from Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which allows him to adapt and modify his teaching methods for the individual learner. “This is particularly important when tutoring standardized tests which were designed under the single IQ concept leaving many students struggling to just understand how to take the test,” Harvey says. “Parents often have difficulty understanding why their straight-A child underperforms in standardized tests. Gardner's theory, when combined with the concept of different learning styles, addresses this issue.”
As a high school student, Harvey participated in swimming and soccer. In college, he studied abroad in Spain, where fought a baby bull. He speaks fluent French and enjoys training and playing with his dog, listening to music, cooking gourmet meals, and backyard bird watching.
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