PrepNow Tutor - Adam A.
Adam has extensive experience teaching English and has worked with over 500 students. Throughout his time as a tutor, doctoral research assistant, and educational assistant, he has been dedicated to crafting a learning experience that increases students’ understanding and efficacy.
In 2016, he earned a BS in animal science with a minor in American Indian studies from Cornell University. In 2023, he graduated from Texas State University, where he achieved a PhD in curriculum and instruction—with a focus on developmental education and a specialty in learning support. Throughout his academic trajectory, he has dedicated himself to researching and promoting equitable and inclusive educational practices. His research, much of which has been published, heavily focuses on “Indigenous sense of belonging, Indigenous psychosocial outcomes, Indigenous quantitative methods and research methodology, and Indigenous postsecondary education outcomes,” he explains.
His experiences as an Indigenous student inspired him to pursue education. "Learning is more than acquiring knowledge, values, or behavior; it is a culmination of those concepts with our lived and intergenerational experiences. When viewed this way, learning becomes an intricate process that requires continuous monitoring and reflection, not simply a reached goal,” he shares.
“Ultimately, my goal as an educator and Indigenous scholar-activist is to facilitate student mastery in the fundamental content of the courses I teach and to develop the skills that will facilitate a lifetime of learning and critical thinking in my students’ endeavors and various identities,” he proclaims.
Adam’s approach is thorough, inquiry-based, and authentic. “As a student; the classes I learned from the most were those in which the instructor presented the material in a clear, organized manner, provided resources beyond basic lectures and a textbook, and viewed their primary role as being a facilitator of learning, rather than just an evaluator,” he explains. He likes to provide a list of questions or objectives to keep students on task. He emphasizes connections between the material and “real life” in order to “facilitate understanding and stimulate interest.”
Practice and creative applications of material are also essential elements of his approach; during practice, he emphasizes how a student processes, evaluates, and applies information in various contexts to see where they need the most help. “In addition, I often include questions that may require students to seek out information beyond what we have learned in class,” he adds. He wants his students to become “efficient and effective gatherers and consumers of information who can engage in theoretical discussions and apply relevant knowledge and best praxis to real-world issues.”
In 2014, he received academic scholarships from the Cornell Club of Austin and the Pendleton Company; additionally, in 2015, his outstanding leadership earned him an award from the Kappa Alpha Society. In 2019, he was invited to be an advisor for The Equitable Learning & Development Project (ELDP) through The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, the National Equity Project, and CASEL (the Collaborative on Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning).
As a student, he was involved in baseball, speech and debate, competitive paintball, student council, and Native American Students at Cornell.
In his free time, he loves spending time with his family, watching movies, reading dystopian fiction, playing video games, and coaching baseball. He’s also big on roller coasters and taking trips on his motorcycle.
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