Stefano Campagna

Location: columbus, oh

About me

Stefano Campagna received his B.A. in biology, chemistry, and mathematics from Manhattanville College and graduated with departmental and Summa Cum Laude honors. In September 2010, he obtained his M.S. in mathematics at New York University. Stefano is fascinated by the formal rigor of abstract mathematics and the elegance of well-constructed mathematical proofs. He eventually plans to return to graduate school to complete a doctorate degree in mathematics after gaining several years of related work experience. Currently, Stefano teaches algebra and business math at National College and works independently as a tutor in math, biology, chemistry, Spanish (his native tongue), and English as a Second Language. Stefano truly appreciates the value of a strong academic foundation. Moreover, he believes that all students can benefit from the undivided attention afforded by one-on-one tutoring sessions. He has been tutoring for the past 10 years and has helped more than 100 students (private clients of all ages from NY and OH) reach their full academic potential. He has also served as a tutor for StudyPoint, Inc.; as an SAT Prep instructor for The Princeton Review, Inc.; and as a math B and physics summer instructor for the Manhattanville College Science, Technology, and Engineering Program (STEP) for underprivileged high school students. Additionally, Stefano worked in afterschool programs associated with New York public schools during his undergraduate and graduate years. Specifically, Stefano worked as a tutor and mentor at the White Plains Youth Bureau, White Plains Public Library, and Portchester Carver Center (YMCA) afterschool programs in Westchester County and as a math and reading tutor and general teaching assistant at P.S. 256 in Brooklyn, NY.

Interests

reading, mathematics, traveling

Skills

see "about me" section.

Activity

Stefano Campagna

Blog

Things I appreciated about ED106

I think the course provided a good overall outline of how to become a more engaging instructor. The sections addressing eye contact and floating around the classroom were especially helpful as they covered in detail how to effectively refocus the attention of my students without distracting them with my nervous energy. Sometimes when I am under a time crunch due to unexpected interruptions or delays, I try to wrap things up quickly to make sure I get to cover everything I had planned for that day. Nonetheless, I have learned that it's better to just review what we were able… >>>

Stefano Campagna

Discussion Comment

Suggestions for group activities for a fast paced math course

I am supposed to teach a full year of College Algebra in only ten weeks as our academic terms have to be kept very short. Other than having students work on problem sets provided by the class worksheets in small groups toward the end of the lecture period, what other group activities can I incorporate? Again, time is a key factor (several chapters/concepts need to be covered and reviewed in the weekly 4-hour lecture), and the class sessions have been disrupted in the past for mandatory career development meetings for students. I would gladly appreciate any insight.

Stefano Campagna

Discussion Comment

My students stress me out

Certainly, circumstances are unique to each individual, whether we are talking about instructors or students. The ironic part is that I will be turning 25 next week. When I am teaching a course, I am usually one of the youngest persons in the classroom. I think the problem is that most of my students just see my class as a barrier to a new job. Even when I reiterate how the reasoning behind calculations is important when determining dosages for medications or interest and penalty rates on a payment plan, students have no desire to learn something "new" that they… >>>

Stefano Campagna

Blog Comment

PROFESSION/PASSION

Teaching is great and all, but I absolutely love tutoring. When I am able to talk with my students one-on-one after class is over and really get a sense of their study habits and what their thought processes are, I get tons of valuable student feedback. I know I can tailor the next lecture to address their individual needs without sacrificing precious, limited lecture time. I also can give them advice on specific homework problems they were too shy to bring up in class. We can also review material at a much more relaxed pace. As the hours pass, I can… >>>

Stefano Campagna

Blog Comment

NOTEBOOK/BINDER

I definitely agree with using both an Excel file and a notebook to keep track grades, attendance, notes, etc. The notebook is an excellent physical backup, and I keep one for each term I teach. I used binders all the time when I was a student, but they tended to get bulky. Since my classes aren't large, I have a dedicated back pack with many pockets for all my course material and graded papers.

At the same time, at our college, we also use Engrade as an online gradebook. Program directors and students can check their progress at… >>>

Stefano Campagna

Blog Comment

Retention Time

In an ideal world, I would completely agree with you. But anything close to 100% retention is extremely difficult to achieve, especially in math classes. I think some of the issues career colleges face stem from trying to cram a traditional semester or year's worth of material into an accelerated 10 week or less course format. Moreover, lax student admission policies also allow students that have not truly made a commitment to find the time to study hard and succeed in college to enroll in demanding classes. Once they start struggling because they have not put in the required effort… >>>

Stefano Campagna

Discussion Comment

My students stress me out

As an undergraduate and graduate student, I always made school my priority. My parents could not really contribute financially to my higher education, and as a result, I relied heavily on financial aid, including massive student loans. I did well academically overall and pursued mathematics, which is a subject I am passionate about. I did work part-time as a tutor, lab/teaching assistant, and grader to cover all my books and transportation expenses. It was hard working more than 20 hours on a given week because of school conflicts as I also needed to cover rent and utilities. Nevertheless, my grades… >>>

Stefano Campagna

Discussion Comment

Compounded Obstacles

What if my obstacles change over time or work synergistically against me? During the beginning of the 10-week term, I am excited about teaching Algebra to my students and even grading does not seem so bad. So, I try to get everything done right away. Since I teach part-time and tutor privately on my own, I am not really exhausted by the initial burst of effort. But then, about three weeks in, students start handing in assignments late or start to skip class one week or two and fall behind with regular quizzes as well. Despite our strict attendance policies,… >>>

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