Question / Answer
What is my typical process for working with a new student?
My typical process is simply catering to the needs of the student. Some students like to just get help on certain topics or assignments. Some students prefer a more structured plan for an entire course. For students who are just looking to get straight to the specific topic or assignment they need help with, I am happy to just jump right in! For students who would prefer a more structured and generalized mathematical instruction, I like to assess student capabilities through discussion or even a formal assessment, if preferred, to get an idea of where the student is at and what the best course of action would be. I can tailor individual instruction according to your needs whether that means filling in a few gaps or starting from the beginning. **Remember, math is sequential. If you don't have a solid foundation in the prerequisites for any given topic, making sense of it is nearly impossible! It's my job to fill in those gaps for you so that you can succeed.**
What is my educational background and experience with tutoring?
I have been both a professional teacher and tutor at Richland Collegiate High School at Dallas College since 2021 as well as an middle school instructor with Garland ISD. I have tutored privately since 2019. I have a Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas and have also completed significant subsequent mathematical coursework at Dallas College (where I achieved perfect grades in each course). The classes I taught at RCHS with Dallas College were very popular as were the related tutoring sessions. I have received tremendous praise from all my students and tutoring clients for improving their understanding, grades and even mindset in their math coursework.
What types of students have I worked with?
I've worked with all types of students. Some students need help with nearly every aspect of learning mathematics and require a lot of directed instruction to build up their mathematical foundation and skills. Some students just need a little extra help making a few concepts click. With enough hard work and focus, every student I've worked with has been successful in learning mathematics no matter where they are at when we begin!
What's one of my favorite tutoring memories?
I had a student who hired me because she scored a grade 2/100 on her second Calculus I exam and her next exam was quickly approaching. She was overwhelmed, discouraged and on the verge of dropping out of the course. I asked her to go back to the very beginning of Calculus I with me, and to work as hard as possible and to believe in herself. After three days of consecutive tutoring (several hours per day), she scored a 70/100 on her next calculus exam! She could not believe it. Needless to say, her open mind and diligence paid off! She passed her course and is now a self described "fan of calculus".
What recommendations do I have for potential clients?
I have three pieces of advice:
1) Prestigious credentials don't always translate into effective teaching of fundamental math. Don't hire someone who's specific expertise is DOING high level, abstract, technical math. You're trying to learn, and you need a TEACHER, not a professional mathematician! Hire someone who's expertise is TEACHING math. I've heard too many horror stories from my clients who paid $100 per hour to highly credentialed mathematicians or engineers who simply couldn't teach the math even though they were obviously good at math themselves. My expertise, first and foremost, is TEACHING fundamental math from algebra through precalculus.
2) Don't choose tutors who specialize in breadth over depth. That is, if a tutor specializes in 15 different subjects in math, or perhaps, many different fields completely, they are likely not going to be able to teach you effectively in most of them. My tutoring service is focused on these specific fundamental math courses so that you always have a meaningful tutoring session.
3) Hiring a tutor is truly an agreement between the student and the teacher. The agreement is that both the student and the teacher will put in the effort to help the student learn. There is no magic trick with math. It requires effort, focus, and diligence. But it absolutely can be done! My advice is just to be open to putting in the time and effort to make hiring a tutor worth your money. When both the tutor and the student are putting in the time and the effort, learning occurs naturally.
How did I get started teaching?
I found it very enjoyable to help friends and colleagues with their math courses, and began doing it as a favor early on. Having already been passionate about math and realizing that teaching it was both rewarding and enjoyable, it was a very natural transition for me. "Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life." I love teaching math and I sincerely gain a great sense of pride and accomplishment from seeing my students succeed!