Our Elementary Tutors

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.

Sharon S

Teaching Style

I enjoy working with young people and making an impact on their academic success. I don't know if I have a particular teaching style, but I believe that education is not a "one size fits all" proposition and good educators must adapt their style to fit the needs of their student which I strive for every time I meet a new student.

Experience Summary

Although I do not have a degree in Education, I have years of experience as a teaching assistant, teacher, tutor and curriculum designer. My experience mostly focuses on helping students improve their writing skills, but I also work with students with their reading comprehension since they go hand in hand. I have taught composition at the community college level which enables me to help students with papers at all levels from basic exposition to research methodology and citation format.

Paul P

Teaching Style

I have always considered teaching the most honorable profession. It is a profession where we develop and shape minds to become the future leaders of our nation. As a teacher, I have to be very careful with the knowledge that is imparted in to these young minds. What we teach students must not only prepare them to succeed in the class but it must also prepare for them the various challenges in their career and also in the world. I have always encouraged my students to think outside the box. I give them exercises that are practical, and encourage teamwork in class. I also try to encourage students to participate in class and they rewarded with participation points. To make sure students are reviewing the class materials, I give them take home exercises that make up a significant part of the final grade. I try to make myself available to students either through email or office hours to answer their questions and help them if they have any problem. I love teaching. As a teacher, not only do the students learn from me, I also learn from teaching them.

Experience Summary

I have an MBA in Finance and an MSc in Accounting from Illinois State University. During my three years in graduate school I tutored finance and accounting for two years then, in my last year I was an instructor for corporate finance and intermediate accounting. I also presented several research articles in finance on interest rates and investments analysis. After the completion of my MBA and MSc, I worked in public accounting as a tax accountant for seven months before deciding to go back to school for a PhD in Accounting. I currently enrolled in the PhD in Accounting program at Florida International University.

Katherine K

Teaching Style

Throughout my teaching experience I have encountered students of all ages and abilities, from high school students with learning differences to adult learners of ESL. I believe each student is unique and brings their own set of experiences and strengths to the material to be learned, necessitating an adaptable teaching style. I am experienced in the communicative approach and believe each students learns best through discovery and by utilizing their particular intelligence. I am patient, relaxed and treat each student with respect. I think students learn best when they are having fun and have a trusting relationship with their teacher.

Experience Summary

While working towards my bachelors degree in English (with a minor in Political Science), I worked as a substitute teacher in the public school system for a year and a half, in order to ascertain my affinity for many different levels and subjects. My writing and grammatical skills are excellent; in 2004 I was awarded First Place in Undergraduate Writing at the University of North Florida. My first professional teaching experience complemented my areas of expertise perfectly: I taught English as a Foreign Language to business professionals in Argentina for six months, using the communicative approach. During this time I learned much about South American politics and culture, as well as the Spanish language. Upon return I taught English to high school students for one year at a private school for students with learning disabilities and emotional/ behavioral problems. This summer, I have again taught international students at a Berlitz ESL program, ELS Language Center. Throughout the years I have also tutored and worked with students one on one many times, specifically with rudimentary reading and writing.

Timothy T

Teaching Style

When I tutor a student, I seek first to understand the student and how he/she thinks. I find it is very important to have good rapport and communication with the student so I understand how he/she views the subject and the difficulties of it. Next I try to make "conceptual bridges" from what they know to what they are having difficulty understanding. This process usually teaches me about seeing the subject from a new point of view. I try to achieve a fine balance between guiding and directing the student’s thoughts on the topic with following the student in their own line of thinking of the subject. The student needs to learn to have confidence in his own thoughts on the subject and in his own ability to master it.

Experience Summary

Over the past four years, I have tutored high school and middle school students in math, algebra, calculus, chemistry, SAT Math, and general study skills. My preference is to tutor math, algebra, calculus, physics, physical science, chemistry, and programming. Math is the subject for which I have the greatest passion. I also participate in the homeschooling of four of my children (13, 11, 8, 6). I have mentored my 13 yr old son in Algebra I & II, Chemistry, Elementary Math, and Middle-school Physical Science, and taught elementary math to my 11, 8, and 6 year olds. Additionally, I read and review history lessons to my kids. I completed my MS in Electrical Engineering in 2006 from The University of Texas at Arlington and my BS in Electrical Engineering and a BA in Philosophy from Rice University. I have recent experience as a student having completed Cellular Biology II at St. Petersburg College in Fall 2011.

Purvesh P

Teaching Style

I vary my teaching style depending on the student's particular disposition. I normally allow them to dictate the pace at which I tutor without digressing from our objective. Nonetheless, my goal is to be positive impact on the student. I love to help students get to a level they did not expect they could achieve, and in the same token, I am appreciative when I am humbled by challenging problems for which I have no solution. However, when faced with such a situation, I guide the student in an appropriate direction, and let them know that I will use my own resources to discover a solution and then get back to them. Without question, my style is synonymous to what computer users refer to good programs as, "user-friendly." I am patient with my tutees and steady in my demeanor so that I can gain and hold their confidence.

Experience Summary

I have been tutoring since my sophomore year at Rutgers University. I hold the College Reading and Learning Association Level II (CRLA) certification. I tutored Mathematics (Pre-Calculus, Calculus), Chemistry, and Physics to undergraduate students at the university. I have since tutored students in these disciplines at various levels, such as middle school and high school. I have also tutored adults in the area of Information Technology, subjects such as Introduction to Programming, Web Design, and Database Design, while studying for my IT Certification. I have since attained an MS degree in Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and have been working in the IT industry for the past 4 years. I continue to enjoy tutoring and teaching others; be it students, co-workers, or family members. I feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction when I see others succeed and know that I have played a part in their growth.

Herbert H

Teaching Style

The teaching style I use is completely dependent on the particular student being taught. I'm a big fan of the adage 'Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for the rest of his life'. My objective is to teach a child not only the material, but how they best learn so that they can teach themselves. I enjoy using applicable references that are relevant to the child so that they will more easily grasp the concepts. I believe a personalized approach works best.

Experience Summary

I have earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering with a software focus along with a Sales Engineering minor. I was 3 credit hours away from both my Math and Business minors. In the last 5 years, I have tutored students in Basic Math, Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Calculus, Visual Basic, Physics, and Differential Equations. I have taught math for the past 4 years at the Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High School in the subjects of Algebra I, Algebra I Honors, Geometry, Geometry Honors, Algebra II, Algebra II Honors, Statistics, Mathematics for College Readiness, and Liberal Arts Math.

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.