Our Tutors In Iowa

Tammy T

Teaching Style

I love teaching in an environment where the student is made to feel comfortable and that their efforts are rewarded and appreciated. I like to provide my students with as many tools as possible to make sure they get the most thorough understanding of a particular concept. Often times I use hands-on materials, one-on-one settings, and technology based instruction. One person at a time helping one student at a time can make the difference.

Experience Summary

I began tutoring before I began teaching. I have always had a passion for seeing students become successful math students. In the last three years I have tutored over 20 students privately in the areas of reading for grades K-5 and in mathematics from kindergarten to Algebra through Trigonometry. In addition to my tutoring experience I have branched into teaching basic math courses at the college level. I feel that my experience working in community based tutoring groups and structured programs are a great asset.

John J

Teaching Style

I am convinced, partly because of my own experiences, that the current educational system best serves the needs of the average student. I also believe that it seldom addresses the needs of those students whose learning style is not a good fit with the one size fits all educational system. This may be for a wide variety of reasons, but the result is that the student is left without the needed skill set to compete and what’s worse, left with the message that they are responsible for "not getting it" and are inferior or stupid in some respect. I nearly flunked junior high pre-algebra, and was a mediocre math student in high school. I eventually managed to teach myself, and have subsequently scored 800 on the math section of the GRE and was one of about 50/15000 to score a perfect 15 on the quantitative section of the medical college admission test (MCAT). What is wrong with this picture? My own take is that we all have different styles of optimal learning, and what’s more, are often hindered by simple roadblocks that only 1:1 teaching can identify and redress. I am very passionate about finding the approach that clicks, and building back the esteem that comes with mastery of the subject material.

Experience Summary

Prior to entering graduate and later medical school, I tutored a variety of subjects in the area of mathematics and science. As a PhD candidate, one of the requirements was to assist in teaching the physiology labs, and as an advanced candidate, was given the opportunity to give lectures in physiology to medical and nursing students. Most recently I have been an unpaid volunteer on the on-line physics forum where advanced high school and college students can go on line for assistance with their homework. Because of my career selection, I have had to take many standardized examinations and am quite adept at these. I believe I can help other aspiring students achieve the higher scores needed for acceptance in programs of their choice.

Ronald R

Teaching Style

I enjoy sharing my education and experience as well as figuring out how each individual student learns and how to adapt my style to fit their needs. I am easy going but very patient but persistent in getting the understanding across. I have worked with and tutored all types from high school dropouts to Doctoral Candidates.

Experience Summary

I have a very strong background in Math, Economics, Accounting, Chemistry, and Environmental Science as well as extensive experience in writing, Document Preparation, Quality control and Statistics. I have been a Teacher for over ten years and have been working as a math tutor for the past year.

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.

James J

Teaching Style

Few things give me as much pleasure as communicating academic concepts to students and seeing the look of understanding on their face. As a result, my teaching style emphasizes understanding of concepts and problem solving techniques. What this means that I don't just tell my students how to get the answer to a particular question. My goal is to enhance their skills so that they can tackle any math or physics problem that is related to the homework problems that are assigned. Furthermore, I ONLY tutor math and physics. This has my specialty and focus for 10 years. Whether you choose me as a tutor or someone else, I think it's always best to pick someone who specializes in a particular area.

Experience Summary

As a Physics Ph.D. I have a strong background in Mathematics and Physics. Currently, I am a senior research scientist in a university lab. This experience has helped me understand how math and science are used in real world applications, which gives me ways to relate these subjects to students in a way that they can appreciate. In other words I can explain what importance that these subjects have in the real world. I have taught physics at the university level for a full year which gives me an insight into what professors expect from students at the college level. Also, I have been a tutor for nearly 10 years.

Patti P

Teaching Style

Education is the most valuable asset we can provide to our children. Each student is unique and needs to be taught in a manner that brings out their strengths to conquer weaknesses. Every student has the opportunity and ability to learn, though tapping into how each student learns may be a challenge. I believe students at any age are inquisitive by nature and should be able to follow a staircase of "why's" until all the "why's" are answered. Constructive feedback through encouragement is a great way to keep a child inquisitive and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Experience Summary

Working in the field of public safety as a supervisor, I have written numerous training manuals and taught adults in report writing, field training, National Incident Management Systems, Incident Command Systems, Taser Weapons Technology, and Basic Security classes. I have been employed for 10 years with the county and recently graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. My long term goals are to teach at a university and I am currently working to earn an MBA. While in college, I have tutored students in all areas of the degrees I was seeking, including Statistics, various levels of Math, Finance, and College Writing. I often edit student papers for grammar, spelling, and formatting issues for their final drafts.

Michelle M

Teaching Style

I value the learning styles of each individual student and regardless of subject matter, I emphasize developing study skills to enable the student to apply what he or she learns in every subject/course.

Experience Summary

In the last nine years, I have actively addressed the goals and available resources of diverse student populations. During college, I tutored through several organizations, including AVID, Hermanas Intimas, and the Ophelia Project. Later at San Francisco State University, I served as a Teaching Assistant for two semesters and two departments. Prior to these experiences, I have taught English, ESL, and EFL to native and non-native English speakers domestically as well as internationally. English was not my first language, and I use my own experiences with language and culture to communicate successfully with students from all backgrounds. Furthermore, I am very comfortable with online learning platforms as I have not only taken countless online courses but have also assisted professors in further developing and improving their online courses. I have experience with backend website support and have developed websites as well.

Boris B

Teaching Style

I believe that excellence in teaching comes from the teacher's adaptation to student's specific needs. In particular, for some students, visualization may be the essential component for them to understand a certain concept or an idea in mathematics, and by furnishing examples and various proofs with pictures enables the student to learn the concept, whereas for other students it may be the algebraic equation that allows them to see a certain idea. In the first couple of sessions, I probe for the specific needs of the student and then am able to connect with that student so that he/she feels comfortable with the subject. I am a patient teacher and believe that all students are able to grasp the subject. I teach in a disciplined manner, so that the topic presented is coherent and follows a logical flow. I make sure that the theoretical concepts are internalized in a concrete example for the student. Above all, I carry a positive disposition wherever I go and encourage students to enjoy math.

Experience Summary

I am a graduate of GaTech, with a Math and Psychology BA degrees. Aside from my two majors I have minors in Philosophy and Cognitive Science. During my years of high school and college, I have tutored students in Mathematics -- be it in calculus or statistics, or the math portion of the SAT. At the moment I work part-time at the Korean after school program, called Daekyo America Inc., as a math instructor for both high school and middle school. I have participated in various Mathematical Competitions, and have won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize Winner in USAMTS (United States Mathematical Talent Search).