Our Tutors

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.

Zebunnisa Z

Teaching Style

I am a young, enthusiastic, and dedicated teacher/tutor. I truly care about my students and aim to help them achieve academic success as well as to help them grow as individuals. Through my experience as a teacher, I have developed a teaching style that I can adapt to the unique needs of my students.

Experience Summary

As a Math major during both my undergraduate and graduate studies, I have developed a great knowledge of the subject. I began peer tutoring while completing my Bachelor's at Stonybrook and have been tutoring ever since. I have tutored middle school through college level mathematics, but the majority of my tutoring experience has been in high school subjects.

Joanne J

Teaching Style

My teaching style is student centered and hands-on. I try to get students to recreate what scientists really do in the lab to discover and find solutions to problems, so a lot of time is spent in the lab and collaborating. I also incorporate data analysis in the lab experiences, so a lot of my labs require that students collect and share data, and base their conclusions to a problem on the data, and not a book answer. I think this is the reason why I had so many science fair winners at the middle school level. Often my parents where I amazed at what I could get their kids to create in terms of lab reports.

Experience Summary

I have been teaching for about 14 years. I discovered teaching while I was doing volunteer work bringing science to elementary school children in the inner cities of Philadelphia. I was hooked. I had so much fun and the fact that I could get paid for it was secondary but a bonus. I started out as a middle school teacher and I have been quite successful with them at science fair competitions. One year, 6 of my sixth graders took 6 of the 7 places in city fair. My eighth graders won first place 2 years in a row. One student went on to state competition (he won 2nd place in a category higher than his grade level), and another was awarded and honored at a Spectroscopy Society dinner. I am presently teaching high school Chemistry and General Science, and I love what I do.

Heidi H

Teaching Style

Our children today need to be encouraged and given the opportunity to develop. Some students aren't able to get the attention they need in a classroom setting with all of the other students. All they may need is one on one time to help explain the concept in a way they understand. I'm a very "hands on" tutor and like developing fun, creative ways for the students to learn. I am attentive, encouraging, patient, and considerate and will be available to help the children succeed. My goal is to make a positive difference in each students life.

Experience Summary

As a graduate of Pfeiffer University's Pre Medical program, I feel that I am qualified to tutor students in the fields of math and science. I graduated Magna Cum Laude and finished in the top ten in my class. With a double major in Pre-Med and Biology, and a minor in Chemistry, I have gained understanding of these areas and can help other students learn and understand the concepts presented in these particular subjects. In high school, I tutored Geometry and Algebra. In college, I tutored Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus. Currently, I’m working with my church on Tuesday afternoons where my mother developed a community outreach program with Central Elementary School where we tutor five K-2 graders in math and reading. My goal is to make a difference in the lives of our children one student at a time.

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.

Tony T

Teaching Style

My teaching style is similar to the management style I employed as an editor. I prefer to be a coach rather than a top-down administrator. I urge my students to not accept mediocrity and instead strive for excellence in all they do. My goal is to make them better writers and better people with a sense of ethics and responsibility to themselves and society. I preach that good writing comes from hard work and research and a mastery of the English language, which I also encourage them to strive for.

Experience Summary

After several years as a journalist, writer and editor, I had the opportunity in 2001 to teach writing courses at Orange Coast College. Because teaching had always been of interest to me, I took the offer and have enjoyed it ever since. Teaching seems to fit me well. My students tell me all the time how I'm the best teacher they've ever had, and my student evaluations support that. It is so fulfilling to me to see my students go on and succeed in life, sometimes changing courses and pursuing a career in writing because of me. I don't teach so much for the money but for the enjoyment I receive in educating young minds. Other experiences include being an English literacy tutor at the Huntington Beach library, teaching ESL learners how to read in English to their American born children. Another very fulfilling role.

Cynthia C

Teaching Style

Communication and expectations are the top priorities in my repertoire of teaching strategies. I am able to communicate a sense of self-esteem in my students tempered with humor. They know I value them as human beings. In my experience young people are willing to live up to the expectations a good teacher demands. I use a direct, no nonsense approach and have found it extremely successful in all teaching environments.

Experience Summary

After having lived in Germany, teaching ESL in a middle school, I returned to the United States to teach in the Irving Independent School District in Irving, Texas. During that time I taught German, French and Spanish to middle and high school students. Subsequently, I was offered a teaching position for the Department of Dependent Schools, which is managed by the Department of Defense Education Activity. I taught Study Skills and German for three years in the Ramstein area in Germany. I then transferred to the United Kingdom where I taught these modern languages on an air base near Cambridge. Presently I am teaching ESL to businessmen in the Tampa Bay area as a free lance contractor. Having acquired skills in three foreign languages by three different learning methods, I have a good understanding of language acquisition as well as language usage.

Davorin D

Teaching Style

From my tutoring experience, I have noticed that students have trouble understanding the meaning of numbers and symbols on paper simply because no one has taught them how to visualize and interpret them in a real world situation. They also don't realize that they have plethora of resources and tools available to them to help them, yet they rarely utilize them. I try to give hints and clues to my students and let them obtain the right answers on their own instead of simply solving the problem for them. I believe this gives them a much better understand of the material.

Experience Summary

Having recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree, I am continuing my education to obtain my Master's degree in mathematics. Number Theory will be my focus, as I intend to get involved in the encryption field. During my senior year as undergraduate, I have worked on campus as a teacher's assistant and at home as an online tutor for UNCG's iSchool program. I have privately tutored undergraduates needing help in pre-calculus and calculus. I enjoyed helping the students and showing them some of my own tricks and ways when it comes to solving the problems.