Our Tutors Near Manhattan

Donald D

Teaching Style

I believe children today are shortchanged by our educational system. Kids need people who hold them to high standards rather than minimums. They need to feel like people believe they are worthy of success and able to attain it rather than being given built-in excuses. Therefore, my teaching style is to hold students to a high level of proficiency. I work with students in a way that builds their confidence and makes them feel like they know things others don't. There is a real "edge" that they feel when they think they might actually be "one of the smart ones" after all and it breeds both an interest and an ambition to be better.

Experience Summary

I have Accounting, Finance, and Economics degrees or designations of emphasis as part of my educational resume. Earning those degrees takes quite a bit of mathematical and analytical knowledge and skill. I went into these degree areas because they not only met one of many areas of interest to me but I also perceived they were perhaps more useful. However, I have a great interest and an immersion based education in history, civics, and political science based areas. I've also been asked to be a contributing writer for both a political blog and a sports related blog which has allowed me to hone my writing and grammatical skills.

Douglas D

Teaching Style

I find that demonstration though example is the first step to understanding. This allows for an initial exposure to the material and plants seeds of knowledge. Adjuvant to demonstration, motivation and enthusiasm to learn the material must be taught. All the homework in the world cannot replace this! Regrettably, students often struggle due to poor instruction or vague textbooks which erode a student’s motivation. Fortunately this can be overcome with a little outside assistance. My long term goal of teaching is to foster a mature understanding of the subject matter. To master a subject it must be learned from multiple angles before the bigger picture is illuminated. Once a subject is illuminated it must be continually revisited for long-term retention.

Experience Summary

To me education is a way of life. My academic career has been driven by a thirst for knowledge. I have earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, during which my math, physics, biology, engineering (mechanical and electrical), and other science skills were cultivated. Afterward, I spent another year pursuing a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, which further strengthened those skills. During this program I was contracted to teach biomedical computer science for sophomore level students. With higher academic hopes, I left the M.S. program, to complete a Ph.D. in Biophysics with an emphasis on MRI physics. My multi-disciplinary doctoral training had a heavy emphasis on math, physics, and biologic sciences. The doctoral training greatly increased my reading comprehension and vocabulary, as well as, strengthened my grammar and writing skills, which were needed to produce scientific publications. Throughout this training I gave lectures to graduate, undergraduate, and high school students on MR physics.

Christine C

Teaching Style

It is a firm belief of mine that every child can learn and succeed, they just need the motivation and positive environment to do so. With that said, I strive to create a learning-rich environment where students are encouraged to ask questions and find answers. I also like to encourage my students to try their hardest and to not be discouraged by challenging material. In addition, I realize that many students do not receive encouragement or learning opportunities at home, so I try to compensate for that by filling the day with multiple academic opportunities and challenges and positive relationships and encouragement. I have a medium control approach where I allow the children's inner motivation to steer the way instead of my external direction. It is my hope that I positively impact each and every child that I come into contact with.

Experience Summary

I am currently an elementary education major at the University of Florida. I will graduate in May 2009 and then stay an additional year for graduate school. In all of my classes, I have been taught a variety of information to use when working with children. Because I am in the ProTeach Program, I have been given a large magnitude of opportunities to work with children all over the Gainesville area from a variety of backgrounds. I have worked in a rural 3rd grade classroom and an urban 3rd and 4th grade classroom. I have also worked at a day care center in Gainesville. I have been a tutor for the Bright Futures Program for a little girl at risk in the second grade. Back home in Jacksonville, I was a private teacher for a 4th grade girl that was home schooled year around.

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.

Nigel N

Teaching Style

I believe that every child is capable of learning and that every child has their own style of learning. As a teacher, I believe in differentiated instruction that allows all students an equal opportunity to learn. I believe in teaching through student exploration. Once a child is able to discover a concept on their own, they are able to better understand and remember it. My approach to teaching is to expose students to practical problems. Once these problems are understood, I introduce a mathematical concept that should allow them to discover a solution to the problem. Throughout this approach, I’m always encouraging and patient. I always stress the importance of making an attempt at solving a problem, as in my favorite quote, “Without struggle, there is no progress.”

Experience Summary

During completion of my undergraduate degree in math, I always strived to achieve excellence in education and to pass on my love for learning. Throughout my college career, I’ve tutored at the undergraduate, the middle and the high school levels. Such exposure allowed me to determine the concepts students have the most difficulty in understanding, and I’m able to prepare accordingly. Upon completion of my degree, I accepted an analyst position with an HR Consulting firm. During these four years, I gained vital experience that allows me to transfer mathematical concepts into real world examples. Such experience has proven to be critical in helping students visualize practical examples of what they learn. I have since left the Consulting firm and entered into teaching. I’m finally doing what I enjoy the most, teaching and passing on a love for learning.

Paul P

Teaching Style

For various reasons, we all learn in different ways. Often times this is difficult to address in a classroom setting, forcing teachers to address skills by giving particular instructions (how to write a paper, how to solve an equation, etc.) thereby making education a project of memorization more so than understanding. I believe it is important for students to grasp the broad concepts of their subject manner, through their particular learning style, then applying these to specific objects as opposed to the other way around. This not only allows for students to achieve in various exercises, but creates a context by which students can relate to their subject, thus internalizing it and creating a solid foundation to move forward from.

Experience Summary

Educationally, I have a BA in Mathematics from Vassar College, a school where I achieved a high level of success graduating with high honors both generally and within my major. While this gives me the mastery necessary to approach all levels of math up to the graduate level, my teaching experience makes it possible for me to convey those subjects to my students. I began working one on one with students while teaching guitar in high school and since then have continued to facilitate students' learning at various levels. Most recently I've pursued experiential education working with kids on farms, backpacking trips, and canoe expeditions. I apply this hands on approach to education in the classroom as well, one that I found successful while teaching Linear Algebra to college freshmen my senior year.

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.

Jennifer J

Teaching Style

As an elementary and middle school Language Arts teacher I believe instruction should be tailored to the needs of the individual learner and to the needs of the community. I have had the opportunity to teach in a variety of settings and ability levels. Students confidently excel when they are in a learning environment that is tailored to their abilities and needs. I strive to build a relationship of respect with each student. I am focused, student-centered, and knowledgeable of subject matter. I can create and foster an environment that motivates students and helps them to learn.

Experience Summary

I have earned a bachelor of science degree in Elementary Education, a Reading and Literacy minor, and an endorsement in Middle School Education. As a teacher my students succeeded in reading literacy/comprehension, and improved their overall writing skills by several grade levels. After a successful teaching experience in Language Arts, theater, and journalism at the middle school level, I sought a master of arts degree in Educational Administration. Working in school leadership enabled me to focus on creating a real-world language arts curriculum, and improving student motivation and achievement.