PrepNow Tutor - Joseph D.
Joey is a clinical psychology doctoral student who uses his training and professional experience in psychology to inform his approach as an educator. He holds a BA in clinical psychology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is pursuing a PhD in the same field at Augsburg University in Minnesota. After graduating with his undergraduate degree, Joey gained invaluable experience working for years as a behavior therapist in an autism clinic. There, Joey helped students from ages 3 to 18 develop communication and analytical skills. Working in areas as elementary as spelling and as advanced as reading comprehension and academic writing, Joey developed a robust and adaptive approach to instruction and helped many students inculcate greater autonomy and independence.
Indeed, empowering students to become independently confident and skilled is the bedrock of Joey’s tutoring approach. He has found that what he calls “handing out” answers to students is ultimately counterproductive to helping students. He says, “Regardless of how challenging a problem may be, I strive to guide students to their own breakthroughs, providing assistance and explanations as needed, but always allowing them to come to their own answers.” To achieve this end, Joey uses reflection and data-informed feedback to help students recognize their own growth, build self-confidence, and develop strategies that allow them to work more independently.
In his spare time, Joey has always been drawn to twin passions: music and the outdoors. As a musician, he plays the piano, guitar, and percussion and has performed in multiple bands. As a songwriter, he tends toward the indie music genre, but he is also happy to jam in whatever style a group of musician friends may like. When he flips off the amps and microphones, Joey enjoys playing sports like baseball and ultimate frisbee. Also, though, when he truly wants to enjoy the silence, he likes to hike and camp—particularly with a goal to boat or fish—anywhere, he says, that is peaceful and has a good view.
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