Our Tutors

Ryan R

Teaching Style

My teaching style is patient and thorough. I like to think of myself as a guide for students who are having difficulty in areas of math and science. I urge them to do the work, answer the questions, and ultimately earn the rewards of learning and discovery.

Experience Summary

I have a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Chicago, a Masters degree in Physics from the University of Wisconsin, and am currently writing my doctoral thesis in Physics at the University of Wisconsin. I have enjoyed the opportunity to tutor math and science on a number of occasions at the U of C and UW, in small groups and one-on-one. I have also taught introductory physics courses at the University of Wisconsin, Driscoll Catholic High School, and the National University of Health Science. Years of teaching and research in science and math have made me very comfortable explaining and teaching these subjects.

Ali A

Teaching Style

I enjoy class discussion and participation when I am teaching in classroom. I would recommend my students to review the course ahead of time. Once I explain the subject, it will clarify any ambiguity. The other strategy that I use is to ask the students to pretend that they are the teacher and have them explain it back to me. This has been one of the best methods that help students realize whether they have understood the concept.

Experience Summary

I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. I began teaching organic chemistry, shortly after my graduation, as a Teaching Assistant (TA). In that capacity, I held discussion sections in which I reviewed the subject in detail and worked with students in the laboratory. I worked with groups of twenty students in secondary discussion sections and laboratory experiments. At the same time, I worked as a tutor in science courses such as physics, chemistry, biology and math. As a premed student, I have been teaching MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) courses in biology, organic chemistry and general chemistry. I am very enthusiastic about teaching and feel privileged to be able to help others.

Janet J

Teaching Style

I enjoy teaching; it is my best talent. I understand that math is not a "favorite subject" to a lot of students. Working one on one in a tutoring situation gets past the negative block students have in a math classroom. Several of my private students have worked with me for several years. Their parents said that they felt more confident in the class room and in testing situations because of their work with me. In addition to tutoring in traditional school math subjects, I have also worked with several students on PSAT and SAT preparation. All of these students achieved a higher score on these tests after working with me one on one.

Experience Summary

I taught 34 years with the Guilford County School System, in Greensboro, NC. I retired in June 2007, and was asked to fill 2 interim positions in the Spring and Fall semesters of 2008. I taught all courses from general math through Honors Pre-calculus. I have been privately tutoring at home for the last 7 or 8 years, to supplement my income.

Arthur A

Teaching Style

I try to cultivate a student's curiosity, and then provide the necessary tools for learning. If students are curious and driven to learn, their potential is limitless. My goal is to help students learn through discovery. I am patient, considerate, and respectful of each student.

Experience Summary

While studying for my BA in English (Emphasis in Literature), I worked for two years as a writing tutor at the Hagan Writing Center. Tutoring was offered as a free service for interested students. (For some students, it was required). I tutored students at all levels from pre-College Writing to senior level literature courses. I completed work for my degree at three different colleges and universities in the United States and England, and I feel that the different teaching and learning methods I have seen have prepared me to be a more effective English tutor.

Vinod V

Teaching Style

The cornerstone of my teaching philosophy and personal teaching goals is to help students develop their own thinking skills. I believe all students should leave the school armed with the ability to think for them selves, to think critically and to think creatively. Understanding how people learn is one of the significant aspects of teaching. This is linked to their “knowledge” background and maturity. The key to teaching is to relate to the audience by starting from what they know and building upon it. As a teacher I am totally involved with the class, dedicated to my students and 100% prepared to devote time and energy for their intellectual growth. Love for teaching evokes passion and dedication within me. I believe that the enthusiasm of a motivated teacher rubs off on his/her students, who derive the inspiration and encouragement which actuates their desire to learn. A good teacher should have sound fundamentals and command over the concepts. Fundamentals are the foundation intrinsic for mastering the subject; only teachers who are strong in fundamentals will be able to pass it on to their students. I believe that my strong command over the fundamentals will rub off on my students. I believe that the role of a teacher is that of a leader where you have to show the path, motivate, encourage, and lead by example. In short, my success lies in seeing my students succeed.

Experience Summary

My enthusiasm and love for education can be gauged from the fact that I pursued three Masters degrees in three distinct but related fields. One cannot pursue engineering as a profession without having an affinity for Math and Analysis. Math was a passion for me from my young days and still very much remains so. I have a thorough knowledge and understanding of math. Right from my school days I was involved and loved to teach math. I invariably obtained A+ scores in whatever math test I took in my lifetime. For instance my GRE math score was above 95% of test takers' scores. I have taught Middle school, High school and under-graduate students in Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Quadratic Equations, Applied Probability and Calculus.

Karissa K

Teaching Style

I love one-on-one tutoring because of the complete attention I can pay to the tutee’s specific needs and his or her learning style. My personality is encouraging, positive and patient, and that has served me well in building relationships with repeat tutees at the Writing Center over the past two years. To me, the primary role of a tutor is to explore ideas about the subject in a way that there is not time for in the classroom and also to ask tutees the questions they would not think to ask themselves about their ideas. I can help tutees explore the potential of their ideas and how to own the skills they already possess. My role is also to help the tutee expand his or her knowledge base and tools for future writing through examples, research and discussion.

Experience Summary

As a tutor at the University of Arizona Writing Center, I worked with undergraduate, graduate and international students on all aspects of the writing process. This encompassed higher and lower order concerns including brainstorming, outlining, drafting, formatting, thesis and topic sentence work, grammar and ESL concerns, research methods, and content. My tutees came from all majors including English, History, Business, and the sciences. I worked on everything from rhetorical analyses to technical writing for business to personal statements and research papers. I also spent two semesters in an online tutoring program for high school students to submit drafts of their college admissions essays for commentary. They could then make revisions and resubmit additional drafts for further critiquing. Additionally, as a Magna Cum Laude History graduate with a Political Science minor, I focused on American History and government and developed a passion for those topics I love to impart on others.

Nathan N

Teaching Style

I believe in completing an individual needs assessment and designing a study approach around that assessment. I believe in constant reinforcement and reassessment. I also believe it is useful to utilize as many and as varied forms of instruction as possible (written, audio-visual, demonstration, etc.) to solidify a concept. Promoting thorough understanding rather than route memory and recognition skills is paramount.

Experience Summary

Over the years (as undergrad and graduate), I have tutored middle school and elementary age students in various subjects. I have also been a resource for undergrad and graduate health science students while serving as a graduate assistant (public health master's program). I proctored exams and held tutoring and review sessions prior to testing. I have two master's degrees, three undergraduate degrees, and experience as a paramedic, nurse, and substitute teacher.

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.