Our Tutors

Nicole N

Teaching Style

Being a tutor allows one to reach out and find the most personal and effective way to connect and instruct a student. My exposure to the many learning styles of students has taught me the importance of first understanding the student's learning style. I also believe it is important for teachers to find motivating factors for students. Lastly, I believe it is the teacher's responsibility to make learning fun for each student. When in combination, these factors create a successful learning environment for students.

Experience Summary

I have been working with children of all ages, from diverse backgrounds, and in a variety of environments for many years. I have been a camp counselor, swim instructor, piano teacher, and religious education teacher. I currently have been substitute teaching in grades K-12. My bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Communication studies in addition to my current graduate work has allowed me a strong command of the English language. I am most confident teaching reading, writing, and other areas of language arts. My vast array of experiences has also allowed me comfort in teaching the basics of mathematics, science, and the arts.

Justin J

Teaching Style

I am a very enthusiastic tutor and, as I stated in the previous section, believe teaching in such a way that the student gains a true mastery of the given subject. In a sense, I believe in each student understanding a particular concept in their own unique way that is consistent with their unique thinking processes. I strive to do this by relating a given concept analogously to something the student already fundamentally understands. I also create new problems to solve that probe the students’ progress and comprehension. I try to make these problems as realistic as possible to make them interesting to the student.

Experience Summary

Being a Ph.D. candidate and appointed research assistant, I very much realize the importance of true comprehension of a subject. Not only do I hold two B.S. degrees in Applied Mathematics and Chemical Engineering but I also carry credits to the equivalent of a Non-Thesis Masters in Applied Mathematics and am one course shy of a minor in Chemistry. I have tutored groups of students for Sylvan Learning Centers, conducted one-on-one sessions with Educational Enrichment and independently, and prepared and delivered lectures for advanced undergraduate chemical engineering courses. I am capable and experienced in tutoring all levels of mathematics, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics and materials science.

Sonja S

Teaching Style

My substitute teaching style/capabilities include the following: The ability to follow oral and written directions as instructed from the teacher, establish effective working relationships with staff and students, and maintain effective classroom. Following lesson plans. Creating and maintaining a climate of various learning styles of students. Demonstrating respect and fairness for all students. Applying appropriate consequences for inappropriate actions. Displaying problem solving, cooperative negotiating skills and conflict resolution strategies.

Experience Summary

My substituting teaching experience for the Stanislaus County School Districts will contribute to a successful tutoring job. Teaching capabilities are in biology, chemistry, physics and math. Also, I have recent tutoring experience with Carney Educational Services from March through May last school year. Carney provided tutoring in all subjects and grades from K - 12. Free tutoring was available through the various Stanislaus School Districts.

Erin E

Teaching Style

While attending Northeastern Illinois University, I worked as a Peer Leader for one year for their Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) program. This consisted of me tutoring a group of students in a one credit hour Organic Chemistry seminar class during the Spring and Fall 2004 semesters. Instead of a traditional tutoring setting, I guided the activities of groups of 10-15 students in weekly seminar formatted meetings. I encouraged the students by initiating questions and discussions that led to conceptual understanding of current class material, often times encouraging the students to explain what they knew to others in the class. I also attended weekly meetings with professor of the corresponding organic chemistry class to review seminar materials and to communicate problems or issues. I also kept a weekly journal documenting the seminar issues and progress and communicated any problems and concerns to the class professor. This was a paid position. Additionally, in May of 2004, I was chosen by the Chemistry Department Head to assist in PLTL workshop training at a teaching symposium at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and later that month was also chosen to attend Chautauqua Short Courses at California State University to assist in PLTL workshop training. These courses were designed to train college professors in the PLTL method of tutoring, enabling them to start a program at their own school.

Experience Summary

I have earned two bachelor's degrees, a BS in Chemistry (4.0 GPA) and a BA in Communications, and I have 12 years experience as a paralegal and legal secretary. I have excellent verbal and written communications skills, organizational skills and an outstanding work ethic, which are a great asset in tutoring. I have tutored in organic chemistry and also helped many students in my classes while working towards my chemistry degree. I enjoy helping people understand chemistry and also believe that in teaching, it only solidifies your own knowledge of the subject matter.

Andrew A

Teaching Style

Although my formal teaching tenor is fairly short, starting in high school I often found myself in a teaching role while studying with peers. My teaching style relies heavily on starting very hands-on and transitioning the student into independence. I find it’s very helpful for the student and teacher as well, to make mistakes while doing a problem. When initially explaining a problem, students will frequently be too shy to tell you that they don't understand a concept. Often the best way to coax questions out of students involves them doing problems on their own. Building off of that, I am then able to help construct strategies to highlight their strengths in problem solving and improve on their weaknesses.

Experience Summary

While earning my BS in Chemical Engineering at UC Davis, I became interested in the atmospheric sciences which lead me to graduate school at Harvard University studying Atmospheric Chemistry. At Harvard I was the head Teaching Fellow for an upper division class in atmospheric chemistry. Since graduating last June with an ME, I have picked up tutoring in Los Angeles and currently have one student doing non-calculus based physics. Through my education I have gained extensive experience in mathematics through the calculus level, chemistry and chemical physics, and Newtonian physics.

Sandow S

Teaching Style

I begin each lesson with the understanding that different students have different approaches to understanding the same concept. I am therefore always prepared to use different approaches to help students who need extra help. Moreover, since I teach science and mathematics, I use day-to-day illustrations and innovative materials to facilitate students' learning. I am very patient and willing to discuss lessons with students who need extra help after school.

Experience Summary

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology with Physics and Chemistry backing. I recently graduated from a doctoral degree program in Environmental Management with focus on hydro-chemical modeling of water resources using multivariate statistical methods and mass balance methods. I have taught Environmental Science, Physics, Chemistry, Physical Science, Algebra and Geometry for three years at the Passaic County Community College's college and Upward Bound Programs in New Jersey. I have also tutored students of the same program during the three year period. I am therefore confident that I would be able to teach the above mentioned courses without any difficulty.

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.

Ashley A

Teaching Style

First and foremost, I believe it is important to establish a trusting relationship with those you teach. Throughout my experiences in the field of education, I have found the most fruitful of those relationships to be those in which I was able to work with a student or group of students regularly over an extended period of time to develop a routine and a strong relationship in which great amounts of learning and understanding could be accomplished. Although many people experience obstacles in learning Mathematics, I believe that by presenting multiple ways to approach a problem, every student can find a method that works for them. Every student should be allowed the resources and opportunity to realize that they CAN achieve their goals. I am here to help students who have had difficulty with Math in the past to succeed, and feel confident in both their abilities in Math, and in life.

Experience Summary

As a student, I was always committed to learning and to achieving my goals. As a teacher and tutor, I strive to help others share the same love for learning and for understanding as I do. Now, I help others set goals, and work toward achieving them. I have worked with all ages, all ability levels, and various sized groups and have enjoyed each and every experience. In the past, I have primarily tutored in the subject of Mathematics, but am also trained by the Literacy Council to tutor reading and writing, and have enjoyed volunteering with that organization as well. I believe that I can help anyone enjoy and understand math, and help them feel better about themselves for it.