Our Tutors In California

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.

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.

Yvetot Y

Teaching Style

I am a firm believer in actively teaching with tools and visual aids to facilitate a student’s understanding. I perceive myself as a facilitator rather than an educator. I see my role as someone that can help students develop ways and methods of associating and assimilating concepts and ideas, and develop ways to effectively use them. Given the appropriate support and time I believe all students can and will learn. Though the learning process will be different from student to student, I think that it is my professional responsibility to find the best method to make it happen. I measure my effectiveness by how well a student assimilates and utilizes the knowledge being dispensed.

Experience Summary

My interest in teaching began after two years of providing on-site private tutoring in the schools. The feedback and outpouring of positive reinforcement that I received from the students led me to the classroom. I have taught science for three years in two different Dade County Schools. My years teaching have given me a better focus of the sciences and gifted me with new managerial skills. The planning of weekly lessons, the adjustments of curriculum, along with responding to multivariate behaviors in the classroom have helped to shape the educator that I am today. I now have a much greater understanding of the learning process and the many ways it can be facilitated.

Darlene D

Teaching Style

Much of my job includes mentoring new employees. Although I enjoy working with adults, I find it much more interesting to work with younger people. I would like the opportunity to tutor another student who is struggling with math. I have found that most students I have helped just needed some individual attention, and a safe place to ask questions that they would not ask in the classroom setting.

Experience Summary

I have worked in the Computer Science field since 1985 when I first started working for the US Space Program. During that time, I earned my BS and MS degrees, and am currently working on the Doctorate in Business with Applied Computer Science. During the last four years, I have tutored a student in mathematics, ranging from basic Algebra to College Calculus. During that time, the student received all A's. Since this student is moving on to a University out of the area, I will no longer be working with him; therefore I am looking forward to helping other students.

Sandra S

Teaching Style

I have always worked with children, first as a babysitter at the age of 12, and then through the schools. I've learned that all students are unique and they respond to different teaching methods differently. I can usually tell by their expression if they "get it" or not. And if they are having difficulty, I immediately change my instructional approach. I have been known to make up learning strategies on the spur of the moment to suit a student and the material. I just enjoy being around children and want children to want to learn. It is something they will need to do the rest of their lives and I want them to have the skills they need to learn in the future.

Experience Summary

I was the first person to graduate from any higher level institution on both sides of my family - and paid for it myself by working and going to school. I have always strived to achieve success in whatever I attempt. Through the various jobs I have had besides teaching, I have learned many skills helpful to me in teaching and in life. I was a Title I teacher for 27 years in Illinois focusing on remedial reading, phonics, and math skills. I have also taught art (K-8) and computers (K-adult). I have worked with classroom teachers extensively to help our students learn.

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.

Lindsey L

Teaching Style

Everyone will tell you that there are three major types of learning styles: Visual Learners, Auditory Learners, and Tactile/Kinesthetic (hands on) Learners. In my experience as a student and a tutor, most people have a main learning style but actually learn best through a combination of all three. My goal when tutoring is to figure out what each students main learning style is, so I can present the information in a way that they will be academically successful. I use a mixture of Audio, Visual and Hands-On methods. People also retain information best when they teach it to someone else, so I have my students explain to me what was covered.

Experience Summary

I have earned a bachelor degree in Business Administration emphasis in Accounting and a minor in Business Law from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. While earning my degree I tutored at the Learning Resource Center - ASI Peer Tutoring Program. From October 2005 - June 2007, I tutored college peers in Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Computer Information Systems, and Technology & Operations Management. After Graduation I continued to tutor as a private tutor, since I had to be a student to tutor at the Learning Resource Center.

Kristin K

Teaching Style

I enjoy tutoring and working with students. I feel that I am a friendly, patient, and calm tutor. I put students at ease, help them to feel comfortable, and let them know they can ask questions. I can explain things in an informal, easy-to-understand manner, which is especially helpful for students who have trouble in school. My flexible teaching style helps me adapt and customize tutoring sessions to each individual student because learning is not one size fits all. I like to find things that the student understands and/or can relate to in order to explain and explore difficult concepts and topics.

Experience Summary

In addition to tutoring during high school, I have worked at an independent local tutoring company and at the local Huntington Learning Center since I've graduated college. As an English major, avid reader, and proficient writer, my specialty is English and SAT Verbal, but I can also tutor in other subjects. I've helped younger students with their homework and studying in subjects such as 8th grade science, 5th grade math (for a student in a Spanish immersion program), middle school and high school history/social studies and many others. Currently, I'm studying SAT math in order to be more adept at tutoring in various mathematics.