Our Tutors In Hawaii

Mary Kathleen M

Teaching Style

I believe that every person has the ability to be a 'good' writer. In academics there are rules that a writer must follow. It is important to teach the conventions of writing so that students can build a solid foundation. After a student knows the rules, they can transfer good writing to other aspects of life (Civic, Professional, Personal). In my experience, students come in with a rough draft and need some guidance on how to move forward. I have tutored in groups and individually, and in both situations I may keep students on track, but they are the ones who figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are and how to improve their overall composition

Experience Summary

I earned my Bachelors of Arts from the University of Florida in 2006 and soon after I started Graduate school at the University of South Florida. As a graduate student I have been a writing tutor at the college level. I first started tutoring at Saint Petersburg College in 2007. The students who came in for help were in a variety of courses, such as Creative Writing and Speech. Every person came in with frustration, but left with a sense of accomplishment. This summer I was a T.A. at the University of South Florida in Dr. Conner's Composition II course. This course integrated technology by operating on a Wiki and communicating through chats, blogs, emails, etc. I was able to stay an active participant by reading students' posts and joining conversations. Through my graduate courses I have improved my own writing skills. I am currently in a Composition course where we are creating rubrics and assessing writing of students at the University of South Florida. This course is made up of 6 students that collaborate with faculty and writing coordinators at the University to develop new rubrics.

Jessica J

Teaching Style

I am an enthusiastic teacher who loves to share my passion for chemistry. My greatest achievement as a professor has been bringing awe and excitement to the mundane: I will never forget the student who told me that she will never look at a boiling pot of the water the same way. I am patient and considerate but demanding of hard work and respect from my students. Students learn different ways, and given the opportunity and time, a teacher should try to find the best learning environment for their students. In a classroom, this can be difficult. When tutoring one-on-one, a teacher can alter their instruction methods (visual, audio, hands-on) to optimize the student's experience. I find the philosophy of "see one, do one, teach one" works well to emphasize important points and try to incorporate this within my teaching time.

Experience Summary

I earned a BS degree in biochemistry and did a senior thesis in organic chemistry. This inspired me to earn a PhD in biochemistry in Boston College's chemistry department. During those extensive years of education I studied many areas of chemistry and biology in depth. In addition, I excel at problem solving and research. My writing skills have been honed after years of writing research papers and theses. During the past 12 years I have taught many areas of chemistry and biochemistry at the collegiate level as well as tutored high school and college students in chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.

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.

Kalpa K

Teaching Style

I like to teach students from high school level to graduate level. Each student has a different level of understanding and interest for a given subject. Thus it is imperative that my teachings should have the ability to steer anyone’s brain that I am tutoring. In order to do so, I believe that the structure of my lectures should be incremental in complexity. I would like to start with basics and steadily introduce complexities and citing importance of each process so that students can have an appreciation for the subject core being taught.

Experience Summary

Although I have not tutored for a professional firm, I have peer-tutored many students in various areas such as undergrad as well as grad level Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology.

Sam S

Teaching Style

I find a great deal of personal satisfaction in imparting knowledge to others. I am patient, open-minded and respect the individuality of those with whom I work. At the same time I am dedicated to the progress of those I teach and keep focused on the ultimate educational goal. Nothing is more important, to an individual's happiness and well-being than learning. Learning opens up doors heretofore closed. I recognize and respect the impact a teacher can have on a student's life. A person's education reverberates down through all the years of one's life.

Experience Summary

In my business career one of my most important tasks was to train individuals and groups in the use of computer software. I found it most rewarding to see individuals become more knowledgeable and thus, be able to perform their jobs more efficiently. Another task I performed was as a liaison or translator between technical people and business system users. I was charged with explaining the needs of business users to the technical staff. This required patience and interpersonal skill, so that, all parties became sufficiently knowledgeable to enable a successful result. Both my children had learning disabilities. This necessitated that I insure that homework assignments were completed. I also tutored my children in a wide variety of subjects (spelling, English, math) to supplement the efforts of their teachers. This required a commitment to the learning process and accommodation to their individual learning styles.

Melissa Rose M

Teaching Style

I want to teach students about themselves, others, and the world around them through literature and learning experiences. All information is presented in ways that all students can relate and understand core concepts to be successful in the classroom and in life. The most important achievement in my teaching career is for my students to evaluate information, discover topics they are passionate about, and realize they have a voice and can make a difference by becoming life long learners.

Experience Summary

Education is my life. From a very young age, I loved school and learning. It all started with my brother and his learning disability. I tutored him all throughout his academic career. In college I tutored elementary students through the CARE program. I then decided to be an English Education major and have been teaching ever since. Currently, I am finishing my graduate work at East Carolina University and working on the addition of TESL on to my teaching license. As a lifelong learner, I understand the importance of education and on researching the best methods of teaching to all students.

Diana D

Teaching Style

Having a minor in psychology, as well as the wonderful teachers I had been exposed to over the years, has helped me to recognize that each student had a unique learning style. I attempt to discover this style, which usually happens within one lesson, and focus in on proper teaching methods to cater to this style. I am very patient and have worked with various levels of skill and ability to intake information. I love hands on activities where possible (sciences mainly) and have a multitude of visual examples for many subjects. I hope to inspire my students to want to learn a subject they once thought was "pointless" or "boring".

Experience Summary

I began tutoring when I was in middle school. Our school designed a program where honors students were paired with students they believed to be at risk for dropping out of school before they graduated high school. I tutored one specific student for 2 years and continued to mentor him through high school. After this program I realized I loved working one-on-one with people who were truly struggling with education. I have always known education was extremely important to my own success and I wanted to help others gain knowledge towards their own goals. I tutored through college and still continue to do so. My education has given me insight into many levels of math and science as well as recognizing how to write on a scientific level due to laboratory analysis. Due to this ability to express math and science on a basic level it aides in explaining it to others who do not have a firm grasp on the topic at hand. I have tutored the following subjects at a high school level: chemistry (regular through AP), biology (up to the AP level), linear functions, calculus, statistics, physics (up to AP), algebra I & II, and trigonometry. At a college level I have tutored: chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, molecular biology, cellular biology, statistics (at the request of the professor), physics, biomedical physics, public health, anatomy, and trigonometry.

Carla C

Teaching Style

I believe each student has a unique way of learning, and that my job is to discover and support that learning style. Every writer has his or her own voice, and I work to empower writers to express their thoughts as clearly and powerfully as possible. My goal is not to impose information but to guide students in discovery, to support critical thinking and foster new perspectives. Writing is an intensely personal and creative act; I believe in providing a framework within which writing students can comfortably and confidently learn the strategies to speak easily on the page.

Experience Summary

I've spent most of my life helping people learn, starting as a peer tutor in high school! I began teaching professionally as a teaching assistant in college, and since then I've taught in a wide variety of settings, including government training programs, workplace and vocational education, university, high school and community college classes, and private language schools. As a published writer, I mentor and coach writing students in fiction, nonfiction and college composition, and I've designed and developed many classes and programs to support writing students of all levels. I was a tutor for three years at the International School of Languages in Beverly Hills, working with foreign students to improve their command of English. With a BA and MA in Russian studies and a minor in English and journalism, as well as certification in adult literacy, GED and basic education and a community college credential, I have a wide range of experience in language education and writing competency.