Our Tutors In Iowa

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.

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.

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.

Jack J

Teaching Style

Students both in and out of the classroom are nothing more than an untapped source of infinite potential. Each and every student has the inner strength and drive to be the best that they can be, regardless of the circumstances. It’s the job of the educator to motivate and prepare each individual for success in life. My passion is to help kids realize that potential and inspire them to push beyond their limits to achieve that level of accomplishment that was once thought unattainable. Success in life is best achieved in an environment filled with motivation and positive reinforcement. This rewards creativity as well as spurs curiosity. These are priceless qualities that make learning enjoyable versus bothersome.

Experience Summary

What better way to learn, master, and hone your individual skills and talents than to teach someone else? There is no better feeling than to share your own knowledge and experience with another child, and to watch them grow and mature as both a person and a student. That is the exact reason why I chose the path that I did. It first started with a position as a substitute teacher in the state of Florida. There isn’t a more diverse and broad range of personalities anywhere else in the country. However, my desire to teach and help others didn’t stop at the academic level. Soon after graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in Biomedical Sciences, I enrolled into medical school. As a practicing physician I will be able to continue with my passion for teaching both children and adults for the rest of my career.

Brittany B

Teaching Style

I love teaching children, seeing them learn and discover things for the first time. I also love the challenge of finding different and creative ways to communicate information so that each student can be engaged in a subject and understand the material. I have found that being patient and consistent, expressing clear expectations, and providing immediate and appropriate feedback creates a positive learning environment for academic achievement. It is my desire to provide children with an enriching, memorable learning experience that will teach them not only facts and information, but critical thinking skills and real life applications for real life success.

Experience Summary

After volunteering and instructing summer literacy classes in Clearwater, Florida, I discovered my passion for teaching and children. I pursued an education degree at the University of Florida, where I earned my bachelors in 2009 and finished a masters with an emphasis in literacy and an ESOL endorsement in 2010. I also completed several school placements throughout the program, concentrating in kindergarten, third, and fifth grades. I recently accepted a job teaching in a charter school in Philadelphia. I enjoy working with children of all ages, especially targeting struggling early readers.

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.

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.

Victoria V

Teaching Style

I truly enjoy teaching. My strategy involves actively engaging the student in the learning process. I always try to develop personalized programs based on each student's strengths and weaknesses.

Experience Summary

In 2006 I graduated from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) with a Master of Science degree. During my Master's program I worked as a teaching assistant in General and Organic Chemistry Laboratories. I was responsible for a brief introduction of the material prior to every lab period. This greatly helped me to learn how to organize material I was to present and explain difficult concepts in a simple manner. At USC as a Ph.D. student, I had a chance to work for the Student Athletes Academic Service where I was a chemistry and math tutor. In addition, during the spring of 2007 I was working as an assistant for the Organic Chemistry Course at LA Trade Tech College, where I was responsible for weekly sessions.