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.

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.

Janette J

Teaching Style

I believe each child in unique, therefore each child has their unique learning style. Therefore, I tend to provide a variety of learning methods. If one method isn't understood, I move on to another one. I think learning should be fun, so I will occasionally play learning games where students feel relaxed while learning. I always provide rewards and incentives to encourage participation and increase self-esteem. One of the most important things I believe children need to succeed is a positive sense of self. When a child feels frustrated or hopeless they are less likely to want to improve. I begin praising at the students current level of acheivement and then continue throughout the entire tutoring process!

Experience Summary

I am currently a tutor for a public school system. I tutor students who are at or below their current grade level. I hold a license in Early Childhood Education- K to 3rd grades. My reading tutoring involves phonemic awareness, sightwords, word attack strategies, comprehension and fluency. When I tutor math I use a variety of math concepts, manipulative, flashcards, worksheets. I am willing to collaborate with teachers to enhance classroom learning and homework skills. I have many years of experience educating children in private Preschool and Kindergarten settings. I have also earned a bachelors degree in Family and Consumer Studies with a concentration in Child Development.

John J

Teaching Style

I enjoy teaching and coaching. Why am I effective? I talk to - not at my pupils. My non-threatening and non-intimidating persona allows me to quickly develop a healthy rapport. By listening to my students' thought processes, I work within their frame of reference and then offer suggestions to guide them to a more appropriate path. Finally, I always encourage and am highly adept at objectively critiquing without offending.

Experience Summary

My professional career began at Kaplan Test Prep in Manhattan. As a Test Prep Specialist, I lectured to hundreds of students the concepts tested and test-taking strategies required for the GMAT, LSAT, GRE & SAT standardized exams. My ability garnered me Instructor of the Year for three consecutive years. In addition, I have private tutored in a variety of subject areas. Even during my MBA studies at Duquesne University, I was active in the school's PACT Tutoring Program, worked as a Mathematics Aid at Schenley High School, and delivered an LSAT training curriculum sponsored by the university's School of Leadership.

Redha R

Teaching Style

I teach by example and I am methodical. I show a student how to solve a problem by going very slowly and by following a sequence of steps. I make sure that the student follows understands each step before moving on to the next one. I then ask the student to solve almost the exact same problem (with a slight change in numbers for example)so that the student learns the method and how to solve the problem by herself/himself. I am very patient but expect the student to be willing to learn. I tell students that learning a subject matter is more important than getting an A in a class - this is because 1. if you learn, chances are you won't forget (at least for a long while) and 2. you will get a good grade as a result.

Experience Summary

I have been employed by the IBM corporation for the last 27 years. I held numerous positions in hardware development, software development, telecommunication network development, project management, solution architecture, performance analysis, and others. As much as I enjoy my job, I have passion in Mathematics. I develop new ideas related to my work and expand them into U.S. patents and external technical papers. I informally tutor family and friends attending high school or college. I was a Mathematics teaching assistant at the Univ. of Pittsburgh for 2 years and at the Univ. of Michigan at Ann Arbor for 3 years. I love teaching and sharing my knowledge with others. I have published numerous technical papers and hold numerous U.S. patents as well.

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.

Natalie N

Teaching Style

With my tutoring experience I have learned that each child learns and comprehends material on an individual level. With that said, it is essential that a teacher understand his/her students' strengths and weaknesses. My goal is to help my students discover how they learn so that they will benefit from their education. In a tutoring atmosphere it is important for students to see how they can apply learning techniques to their future classrooms. Additionally, I believe that students gain the most from education when they are actively involved rather than becoming overwhelmed with information. In order to ensure their engagement, I will understand how they learn and present material accordingly. I am patient with children, and I am passionate that each child can excel if he/she is willing.

Experience Summary

I have earned two bachelor degrees, BA in Elementary Education and BA in English, and have had experience tutoring in both of these fields. As an education student I volunteered in elementary school classrooms and tutored students in a variety of subjects. I have spent the past three years in writing centers working with undergraduate and graduate students, helping them in paper organization, grammar, and concise writing. Additionally, I have worked in a local tutoring center where I aided students in a variety of subjects from preschool reading to high school SAT prep in English.

Katherine K

Teaching Style

Throughout my teaching experience I have encountered students of all ages and abilities, from high school students with learning differences to adult learners of ESL. I believe each student is unique and brings their own set of experiences and strengths to the material to be learned, necessitating an adaptable teaching style. I am experienced in the communicative approach and believe each students learns best through discovery and by utilizing their particular intelligence. I am patient, relaxed and treat each student with respect. I think students learn best when they are having fun and have a trusting relationship with their teacher.

Experience Summary

While working towards my bachelors degree in English (with a minor in Political Science), I worked as a substitute teacher in the public school system for a year and a half, in order to ascertain my affinity for many different levels and subjects. My writing and grammatical skills are excellent; in 2004 I was awarded First Place in Undergraduate Writing at the University of North Florida. My first professional teaching experience complemented my areas of expertise perfectly: I taught English as a Foreign Language to business professionals in Argentina for six months, using the communicative approach. During this time I learned much about South American politics and culture, as well as the Spanish language. Upon return I taught English to high school students for one year at a private school for students with learning disabilities and emotional/ behavioral problems. This summer, I have again taught international students at a Berlitz ESL program, ELS Language Center. Throughout the years I have also tutored and worked with students one on one many times, specifically with rudimentary reading and writing.