Our Tutors

Sharon S

Teaching Style

I love teaching and working with young people of all ages and abilities. It is my belief that all students have the ability to learn, so they can succeed and gain the confidence in their abilities. In order to help children reach their highest potential, I believe that each one should be given personalized and individualized instruction that is based on their given abilities and skills. I am a patient, helpful, and kind person. Over the years, I have become flexible in the way I teach as each child learns differently and deserves the needed respect to help them reach their dreams and goals.

Experience Summary

As a graduate from Briar Cliff College, I have always enjoyed learning and wanting to help others succeed. I have earned a BA degree in Elementary Education, in which I have taught in the classroom for 2 years, but have also taught at a learning center for a total of 5 years. While in college, I participated in the AmeriCorps tutoring program, in which I privately tutored a few students, along with students in a school setting during the day. Recently, I have been privately tutoring a high school student and a kindergartener mainly for math, reading, English, and writing.

Nova N

Teaching Style

I love seeing students succeed. I am an excellent teacher because I really care, therefore I put in extra effort to planning and making lessons effective. When possible, I use materials that match student interests. I foster an emotionally safe learning environment so that students feel comfortable. I keep my interactions with students very positive. I believe that emphasizing what a student does right works better than focusing on mistakes.

Experience Summary

I am passionate about helping students learn. My experience includes: • 2 years as a Reading teacher and 2 years as an ESOL teacher. • 8 years as a tutor. • 2 years as a manager and supervisor. • 10 years in technology and business systems I have a Master’s degree in Language Education, and I hold several Florida teaching certifications including Reading Endorsement. I have tutored elementary, middle and high school students, as well as adults. Subjects tutored include Reading and English.

Gary G

Teaching Style

My teaching style has been, for the most part, dictated by student response. I am comfortable teaching in a traditional lecture format, in a format that uses a cooperative learning approach exclusively, or in a hybrid format. The goal is for effective learning to take place, and I believe my strongest quality is to be able to adapt in such a way that best helps students reach their academic goals.

Experience Summary

For eight years, I taught freshman and sophomore-level mathematics courses at Arizona State University. These courses included College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Finite Mathematics, and Elementary Mathematics Theory. Additionally, I have tutored students in these courses both in the Mathematics Department Tutor Center, and on my own personal time.

Randy R

Teaching Style

Teaching is truly the joy of my life. I enjoy seeing students discover their gifts, and then watching them develop them. My philosophy of teaching is one of interaction rather than lecture. Students learn more effectively when they are partners in the learning experience. Reading comprehension and writing skills are both areas where students must feel a sense of ownership in learning. Also, technology has provided a unique platform for helping students feel empowered, and they are better able to take an active role. Teaching has evolved over the past thirty years from a passive experience on the part of the student to an active one. I am happy to be a teacher during a progressive age.

Experience Summary

I have a broad background as an educator. My years in the classroom as both an English teacher and an assistant principal have given me a unique perspective in both curriculum and the needs of the individual student. Following my public school years, I have taught freshman English composition at a local community college as well as served as a tutor to middle and high school students. I have enjoyed guiding students in improving their writing and analytical skills. I am also excited by the advantages of using the Internet as a teaching tool to a generation of technology-savvy students.

Jim J

Teaching Style

I believe that the possibilities of learning are incredible, especially with understanding the tools of both teaching and learning whether that is textbooks, computers, or something else. It is important to ascertain how a student learns, and adjust to them. I’ve discovered in my teaching of children that it is critical to create a foundation of understanding then build upon it through repetition of the basic ideals while adding to what is already established. Children are amazingly open to new ideas, and take on new challenges with excitement, so it is my job as instructor to guide them in their journey. I also feel that early learning is fundamental to the way individuals learn later in life, so helping children learn how to overcome obstacles becomes a way of expanding their educational possibilities.

Experience Summary

Throughout my higher educational career, I’ve been driven to learn as much as possible to help satisfy my enormous curiosity. I have earned a bachelor degree in English Literature, and am currently a MFA candidate in the creative writing program at Arizona State University. As part of my graduate funding, I work as a teaching assistant. The program requires constant training, and I enjoy taking part in understanding the way students learn. In addition to teaching at the university, I work with the Office of Youth Preparation—teaching not only the craft of poetry, but helping 4th and 5th graders develop language skills necessary to do well in school. Although I primarily work with the study of English, I study Spanish and have become proficient with the use of the language.

Donald D

Teaching Style

I believe children today are shortchanged by our educational system. Kids need people who hold them to high standards rather than minimums. They need to feel like people believe they are worthy of success and able to attain it rather than being given built-in excuses. Therefore, my teaching style is to hold students to a high level of proficiency. I work with students in a way that builds their confidence and makes them feel like they know things others don't. There is a real "edge" that they feel when they think they might actually be "one of the smart ones" after all and it breeds both an interest and an ambition to be better.

Experience Summary

I have Accounting, Finance, and Economics degrees or designations of emphasis as part of my educational resume. Earning those degrees takes quite a bit of mathematical and analytical knowledge and skill. I went into these degree areas because they not only met one of many areas of interest to me but I also perceived they were perhaps more useful. However, I have a great interest and an immersion based education in history, civics, and political science based areas. I've also been asked to be a contributing writer for both a political blog and a sports related blog which has allowed me to hone my writing and grammatical skills.

Julie J

Teaching Style

Teaching college students has been very rewarding. I encourage active participation in discussion and groups. Each class is started with a question and answer period about any nutrition issue they might have. Most assignments have an aspect of self discovery so that each student can learn something about their nutrition status. Late work is not allowed and attendance is not taken; rather random "reflection" responses are asked to reward those that attend and to ascertain their understanding of the concepts discussed. Each student can excel when the effort is made.

Experience Summary

As an adjunct faculty member at Brigham Young University Idaho since 1995 (it was then Ricks College), I have taught human nutrition, nutrition and the young child, introduction to foods, nutrition for the culinary arts majors, and various classes for the dietetic technician program. I earned my Dietetics degree in 1985 and have practiced as a Registered Dietitian since then. I have worked in clinical settings including hospitals, long term care, assisted living homes and fitness centers. I am a partner in the Idaho Plate Method LLC business, which created a diabetes education tool sold throughout the United States.

Francis Eugene F

Teaching Style

I always enjoyed teaching. I often was able to teach high school English classes part-time even while I served as college advisor and Guidance Director in 2 different private high schools. I especially liked English literature. It was challenging to get teenage boys to like literature, so I often used videos & other visual aids to help them understand and enjoy reading good literature.

Experience Summary

I always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in the upper grades of grammar school. After attending a private high school on scholarship, I earned another scholarship for university attendance. After graduating, I taught for 9 years in elementary schools. I taught part-time for the next 14 years in a private high school, and also served as college advisor. Since 2003, I have been teaching adults in driving classes part-time.