PrepNow Tutor - Tom C.
A person who loves learning and teaching, Tom has a diverse educational and work history that has allowed him to develop a variety of skills. “I'm a person who believes in the capacity of everyone to achieve, and I am patient and hardworking enough to help others succeed.” He holds several degrees: a BS in economics with a concentration in marketing from Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania; a JD with a labor and employment law concentration from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Law School; and an MA in teaching with a focus in social studies grades 5-12 from St. Mary's University of Minnesota.
After college, Tom worked briefly for a performing arts center in Philadelphia before moving on to work on conventions and then in the admissions office for Drexel University. After law school, he worked briefly for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before settling into legal document review work with a local staffing agency. After earning his master’s degree, he transitioned to working as a substitute teacher. In addition to tutoring and subbing, Tom also does occasional doc review work.
"I did a bit of tutoring as a high school student after school once a week, helping peers who were struggling with primarily science,” Tom shares. After the pandemic, Tom had a career rethink and decided that what made him happiest was sharing his knowledge with others. “So after talking with my then-girlfriend, now-wife about whether or not it was feasible and how we'd make it happen, I enrolled in a teaching program,” Tom reflects. As a substitute teacher, Tom has taught every subject across elementary and middle school grades. Tom is an excellent test prep tutor because of his extensive background knowledge on the subjects covered. “I want to help students achieve their educational goals in the same way that I was able to achieve mine.”
Tom describes his teaching style as characterized by a slow release of responsibility. “I explain a concept, demonstrate it, then work together with students, before finally having them practice on their own,” Tom says. He finds that a more methodical, step-by-step process gives students the best chance to understand a concept and also provides many natural checkpoints where he can check for comprehension. “More generally though, I think the key to teaching a student is for them to feel safe and comfortable with you; that means you have to be responsive to social/emotional needs as much as you have to know your content and be able to explain it.”
In high school, Tom played tennis. He was on the dean’s list at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Law School. Tom is interested in games of all kinds and runs a weekly gaming group for his wife and friends. He also likes jogging, tennis, and basketball. “I also am an avid watcher of sports; if you can name the league, I probably have a favorite team in it and watch it a few times a year.” He also likes watching videos, particularly long-form videos on YouTube. “When I was a kid, if I couldn't decide which hat to wear, I'd just wear both of them.”
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