Why Tutoring?

Emotional Safety—Many students have had a bad experience with math, such as feeling like they will never “get it” or feeling too embarrassed to ask questions in class.  My one-on-one tutoring sessions are a safe place to open up about struggles and ask questions.

Individual Attention—When I taught in a classroom, I found that my attention was divided between presenting material, managing behavior, and answering questions.  In a one-on-one session, I am 100% focused on your student, carefully observing their needs, providing empathetic and honest feedback, and patiently guiding them towards deeper understanding.

Growth Mindset—When a student does poorly in a subject, it’s easy to decide that they are “not a math person” or that they will “never be good at physics”.  In reality, with hard work and good guidance, anyone can improve.  I am fiercely determined to pour hope into your student until they believe that they can “get it”!

Address Gaps in Learning—Many students have a topic they never really mastered that continues to haunt them in later courses.  Hurdles like fractions, negative numbers, and word problems crop up again and again, leading to mistakes and lowered confidence.  I can troubleshoot these sticking points, so that they never trip your student up again.

Understand the Why—It’s common for students to memorize the steps to solving a problem rather than understand the logic behind it.  Down the road, they forget what they memorized.  In my experience, when a student really understands why a method works, they are able to re-derive the method when needed.

Perseverance—With so many distractions, students often find it hard to focus and tackle hard problems.  However, with encouragement, practice, and a conducive environment, my students find themselves persevering through problems again and again until perseverance becomes a habit.

Wonder and Joy—When schoolwork is simply a means to an end—getting a good grade, getting a good job—it can seem like drudgery.  When I teach, I emphasize the excitement of discovering truth about the world around us.  I incorporate puzzles, games, and real-world applications that naturally pique the interest of the student.

Enrichment—Once math is no longer a struggle, I can work on skills such as problem-solving, logical and strategic thinking, and mental math.  I love exposing students to topics not typically seen in school and igniting their passion for the wider world of science and mathematics.