...About Me...
My name is Brandon Orr, I am a college graduate living in the Hudson Valley where I was also born and raised. As a college student I maintained top marks and a spot on the Dean's List for all seven of my semesters at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD. I graduated with high honors in 2014 and was accepted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest honor society, as well as Psi Chi, the national honors society for Psychology. I majored in Psychology and minored in Music & Composition and was part of a research team within the psychology department focusing on memory, learning, and study strategies. I play several musical instruments including the guitar, piano, and the bassoon. However, I was not always this overachieving super-academic...
As a child I was severely ADHD, could not sit still in my seat, and was obstinate in the face of authority, namely my teachers! Despite my vast array of behavioral problems, I happened to be fairly smart and able to achieve good marks...when supplied with the right environment. Besides for the possible genetic component of having such sever ADHD, improper pacing caused a lot of my issues; namely things moved too slow for me, and distraction was easy to come by! All children are different; they learn at different speeds, in different ways, and have different needs. As a student in the public school system, I had always wanted more one-on-one help with a mentor who cared not just for my academic standing, but took interest in my individual needs and interests. With 20-20 hindsight, I wish I had built better habits, not only within the realm of studying skills, but also for learning time management. Thus, when I have tutored, taught swim and water safety, or helped friends with their own assignments I never took on one task or issue in the same exact way. I typically favor a holistic method, blending an academic approach with a personalized atmosphere. Therefore, it is my personal mission to give each student a unique, tailor-made experience, recognizing the differences in learning styles, personal interests, and long and short-term goals!
As a child I was severely ADHD, could not sit still in my seat, and was obstinate in the face of authority, namely my teachers! Despite my vast array of behavioral problems, I happened to be fairly smart and able to achieve good marks...when supplied with the right environment. Besides for the possible genetic component of having such sever ADHD, improper pacing caused a lot of my issues; namely things moved too slow for me, and distraction was easy to come by! All children are different; they learn at different speeds, in different ways, and have different needs. As a student in the public school system, I had always wanted more one-on-one help with a mentor who cared not just for my academic standing, but took interest in my individual needs and interests. With 20-20 hindsight, I wish I had built better habits, not only within the realm of studying skills, but also for learning time management. Thus, when I have tutored, taught swim and water safety, or helped friends with their own assignments I never took on one task or issue in the same exact way. I typically favor a holistic method, blending an academic approach with a personalized atmosphere. Therefore, it is my personal mission to give each student a unique, tailor-made experience, recognizing the differences in learning styles, personal interests, and long and short-term goals!