Our Tutors

Dara D

Teaching Style

I believe in my students and their abilities to learn and synthesize their experiences. My students learn their subjects because I provide a variety of techniques to command their attention. I believe teaching is not just about giving students information but about reaching students who might "get lost" in the system without a guide and friend to help them along.

Experience Summary

I have taught for over ten years in the public school system and learned how to "connect" with students. I have taught physics, chemistry, and mathematics at the high school level, and I have a wide range of teaching experiences in those fields. I have taught AP, honors, and standard classes. Using interesting movies followed by a lab to reinforce the concept is one of the ways I have used to reach students and make a difference in their lives.

Noah N

Teaching Style

I like to break down whatever skill I'm teaching in the simplest form at first. This means explaining the concept of the skill in a way that the student can understand what it is we are trying to do. I also try to use a pictorial representation of the skill if that is needed. After that I'll show them how I work a problem with that particular skill so they can see firsthand what the thought process is and the steps that are needed to use that particular skill whether it is adding fractions or solving equations, etc. Then I'll give the student a problem to do on their own while I guide them through the steps. If they get off on a particular step I'll correct them immediately and get them on the right path. Once I feel they understand what is going on and how to work a problem, I'll give them a problem to do without me watching them and see if they can get the answer right by themselves. Then I'll correct the problem and if they got the answer right, great, and if they got it wrong I'll then analyze which step the student made their mistake on and we'll work to correct it.

Experience Summary

I received my BS degree in Math Education in Spring of 2001 at Florida State University. While at FSU I worked in the Math Help Center for three months. I taught math for two years and decided to choose a different career path in Actuarial Mathematics. I am currently finishing my master's degree at Florida State University. For two years I tutored math at all levels at Sylvan Learning Center in Tallahassee. In that time I learned different things related to presenting the math in a way that can be understood regardless of the level of the student. Mostly I focus on explaining the most important steps of a particular skill and then guiding the student to developing their understanding of that skill.

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.

Bill B

Teaching Style

I enjoy working with students of all ages. I have coached baseball and soccer for the past seven years to kids aged between six and fourteen. This learning experience has carried over to teaching teenagers and adults the principles of math and accounting.

Experience Summary

I am currently a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Florida with over twenty five years of experience in Accounting and Finance. My education consists of a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, with a minor in Mathematics. I am also very personable and would welcome the opportunity to tutor students at any level.

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.

Melissa M

Teaching Style

I believe the keys to teaching any student, young or old, are patience and encouragement. I find that when I demonstrate a pleasant, usually fun, and encouraging environment for my students, they tend to thrive. There has not been a more fulfilling experience for me than to effectively teach a child something that they did not initially have the confidence to learn. My goal is to not only teach them the required material, but to also introduce a learning experience that positively impacts their self-perception. If they believe they can learn anything, they will ultimately thrive in other experiences that require self-confidence, patience, and leadership. The bottom line is that I love to teach, because very few experiences grant me this opportunity.

Experience Summary

From January 2007 to December 2010, I had the significant opportunity to teach for Broward County Public Schools in various education settings ranging from Pre-K to 12th Grade. I have worked at the high school level as a Resource Teacher and Exceptional Student Education Support Facilitator creating Individual Education Plans and working with parents, specialists, and district employees to monitor students’ yearly progress. During the course of my studies in Biomedical Engineering, I gained extensive academic knowledge in Math, as well as Technical Report Writing, Essays, and Research Papers. I have been able to guide students in attaining academic success by tutoring them in various subjects such as Reading, Algebra, Geometry, Language Arts, and Science. My life experiences have also allotted me the opportunity to teach non-academic subjects such as Music Education, Musical Theatre, and Dance. I currently work for a nonprofit organization providing public service educational programs set forth by its mission. Tutoring allows me the flexible opportunity to engage in additional community projects and endeavors.

Jessa J

Teaching Style

I teach hands-on with many demonstrations and hands-on activities. I have been told by some of my past students that I made science fun for them and that science used to be their worst subject, but with me as their teacher they found it to be their favorite subject.

Experience Summary

I have been tutoring math and sciences since I have been a senior in college. Most recently I have worked tutoring math and science as a personal tutor in the LA area. I have also taught Biology and Earth sciences at East High School in Salt Lake City, UT for a year, and 2 years at New Community Jewish High School in West Hills, CA teaching anatomy and physiology and Chemistry.

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.