Our Tutors

Andrea A

Teaching Style

I have a passion for learning, both as a teacher and a student. As a mother of a blended family of seven children, I am also very well versed in the uniqueness of children. Coupled with my diverse background, experience and training, I tailor my efforts to fit the specific needs of each individual child. I also believe that everyone has a preferred learning style and I work to discover those strengths within my students to ensure greater success. I also make a concerted effort to provide interactive lessons that engage the child's imagination in meaningful ways so that their progress is long-lasting. I believe that mistakes are natural, and that they often offer the most significant learning opportunities. With this in mind, my students and I form a warm working relationship in which we learn from one another. I believe every person is an "expert" in something and it is my goal to uncover that for my students and to foster self-confidence and independence as a learner for life. I am passionate about children and about learning, and I consider it an honor to have the opportunity to make a different in a child's life through education and inspiration.

Experience Summary

I love education and I believe it shows in my training. Having first obtained a BA in Studio Art and Psychology, I then went on to attain a Masters degree in social work. I worked with families and children for close to 10 years in this capacity. Through this, my respect for diversity and its effect on learning was deepened. Over time, my desire to inspire children more directly "on the front line" led me to go into teaching. I achieved my Masters degree in Early Childhood Education and worked with preschoolers, special needs students and as a 2nd and 3rd grade classroom teacher. When the first of my four children were born, the many joyful hours I spent reading to them led to my pursuit of certification as a reading specialist. As my family grew, I worked as a substitute reading teacher, and volunteered as a reading assistant in my local schools, from which I was able to hone my assessment skills as well. In this, I also gained insight into the critical importance of reading across the curriculum. Thus, my focus as a tutor switched to reading over the past two years. I also conduct workshops for preschool parents and teachers on developing prereading skills through play. I have been able to use self-created materials to help parents and teachers work with diverse populations. My writing and editing skills have been extended through 15 years (and ongoing) of at-home work as a medical transcriptionist/editor for the leading pediatric hospital in Boston.

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.

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.

Gary G

Teaching Style

My teaching style has been, for the most part, dictated by student response. I am comfortable teaching in a traditional lecture format, in a format that uses a cooperative learning approach exclusively, or in a hybrid format. The goal is for effective learning to take place, and I believe my strongest quality is to be able to adapt in such a way that best helps students reach their academic goals.

Experience Summary

For eight years, I taught freshman and sophomore-level mathematics courses at Arizona State University. These courses included College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Finite Mathematics, and Elementary Mathematics Theory. Additionally, I have tutored students in these courses both in the Mathematics Department Tutor Center, and on my own personal time.

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.

Amy A

Teaching Style

I believe that students learn best by doing. I am a very hands on teacher. I like when my students are out of their seats and making discoveries through experiments and exploration. I also am a firm believer in the multiple intelligences. I believe that when these intelligences are incorporated in to teaching, that each student then has an equal opportunity to learn.

Experience Summary

My first degree was in Environmental Studies. After graduating, I took a position with a local non-profit where I taught recycling education to school aged children. I enjoyed teaching so much that it encouraged me to return to school to obtain my elementary education license. Since then I have taught both Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade. I am currently obtaining my Masters in Special Education. I have also been an after school tutor for a year for elementary aged children.

Melissa M

Teaching Style

I believe the keys to teaching any student, young or old, are patience and encouragement. I find that when I demonstrate a pleasant, usually fun, and encouraging environment for my students, they tend to thrive. There has not been a more fulfilling experience for me than to effectively teach a child something that they did not initially have the confidence to learn. My goal is to not only teach them the required material, but to also introduce a learning experience that positively impacts their self-perception. If they believe they can learn anything, they will ultimately thrive in other experiences that require self-confidence, patience, and leadership. The bottom line is that I love to teach, because very few experiences grant me this opportunity.

Experience Summary

From January 2007 to December 2010, I had the significant opportunity to teach for Broward County Public Schools in various education settings ranging from Pre-K to 12th Grade. I have worked at the high school level as a Resource Teacher and Exceptional Student Education Support Facilitator creating Individual Education Plans and working with parents, specialists, and district employees to monitor students’ yearly progress. During the course of my studies in Biomedical Engineering, I gained extensive academic knowledge in Math, as well as Technical Report Writing, Essays, and Research Papers. I have been able to guide students in attaining academic success by tutoring them in various subjects such as Reading, Algebra, Geometry, Language Arts, and Science. My life experiences have also allotted me the opportunity to teach non-academic subjects such as Music Education, Musical Theatre, and Dance. I currently work for a nonprofit organization providing public service educational programs set forth by its mission. Tutoring allows me the flexible opportunity to engage in additional community projects and endeavors.

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.