Our Tutors

Ashley A

Teaching Style

First and foremost, I believe it is important to establish a trusting relationship with those you teach. Throughout my experiences in the field of education, I have found the most fruitful of those relationships to be those in which I was able to work with a student or group of students regularly over an extended period of time to develop a routine and a strong relationship in which great amounts of learning and understanding could be accomplished. Although many people experience obstacles in learning Mathematics, I believe that by presenting multiple ways to approach a problem, every student can find a method that works for them. Every student should be allowed the resources and opportunity to realize that they CAN achieve their goals. I am here to help students who have had difficulty with Math in the past to succeed, and feel confident in both their abilities in Math, and in life.

Experience Summary

As a student, I was always committed to learning and to achieving my goals. As a teacher and tutor, I strive to help others share the same love for learning and for understanding as I do. Now, I help others set goals, and work toward achieving them. I have worked with all ages, all ability levels, and various sized groups and have enjoyed each and every experience. In the past, I have primarily tutored in the subject of Mathematics, but am also trained by the Literacy Council to tutor reading and writing, and have enjoyed volunteering with that organization as well. I believe that I can help anyone enjoy and understand math, and help them feel better about themselves for it.

Maria M

Teaching Style

I love tutoring and consider myself to be effective at it. I approach it with enthusiasm. I apply theory to practical applications in my career and life. My approach is one of ease. I consider mathematics to be easy, as long as you accept what I call "the rules of the game"; i.e., there are certain principles that have to be accepted, and not questioned, then everything else falls in place. I believe that all people have the capability of learning, and I love the opportunity to provide a positive experience to students.

Experience Summary

I have been tutoring for more than 5 years. My main focus is mathematics, but I also tutor students in Spanish I through IV. I have tutored Spanish, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus. I have recently helped several students prepare for the SAT math test. I enjoy making a difference in the student’s life.

Brigid B

Teaching Style

I see the role of the educator as a pivotal element in not only academic success, but social and cultural success as well. Therefore my teaching skills often incorporate pockets of knowledge from various disciplines. I also believe that the role of the teacher can also mirror the role of the student, as both teacher and student can learn from each other. I believe that children should be given the necessary tools that foster intellectual curiosity, so as to sharpen creativity and independent thinking. My approach to teaching is not to just impart information, but to impart information in such a way that will lend for students to engage in questioning and realization of answers. Because after all, learning is discovery!

Experience Summary

My academic and professional histories champion my lack of formal teaching experience. Upon graduating from NC State with Psychology and Journalism degrees in December 2005, I was employed as an editorial and production assistant at a national consumer magazine; Child, in New York City. My roles were exhaustive of both skills I am trained in, and the quality of my writing and grammatical abilities improved greatly. I have been tutoring undergraduate students in writing and aiding with their writing assignments for roughly three years. Notwithstanding the fact that I currently am a research assistant at NCSU's social psychology stress lab, I am confident that my contribution to Advanced Learners' students will be par none.

Elaine E

Teaching Style

Since I have a degree in special education and ESL, I have used many different methods of teaching. As a teacher I see myself as a facilitator. I want my students to be in charge of their learning, not me. I often ask a student “leading questions” instead of just giving them the answer. I also consider the audience when I am teaching. I ask myself...Are they familiar with our customs or not? Do they know our idioms or not?

Experience Summary

I have a MS in Varying Exceptionalities. I also have 18 hrs of ESL. Currently, I am working on 18 hrs of English. I have taught pre-school through adults. I have taught many different kinds of students. I have taught international students, ESL students, and native speakers of English. I have worked in pre-schools, public schools, private schools, language schools, and colleges. I have tutored many different kinds of students from foster children to adults.

Kristi K

Teaching Style

My style is very unlike most educators, but that is why I believe I have such a high success rate. I believe that each student should have fair and equal educational access and that each child has the ability to learn. I believe in having the highest expectations for EVERY student. I also believe in making sure that curriculum and lessons are relevant to the child's surroundings, and I practice the strategies of modeling and practicing the concepts or assignments with the student.

Experience Summary

For the past four years, I have spent much of my teaching career working with ESE children and those from low income backgrounds with significant learning barriers. I have been incredibly successful in making learning gains and working toward successful high school completion and college enrollment. I have also tutored students after school and during the summer for the past four years in all core subject areas.

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.

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.

Victoria V

Teaching Style

I truly enjoy teaching. My strategy involves actively engaging the student in the learning process. I always try to develop personalized programs based on each student's strengths and weaknesses.

Experience Summary

In 2006 I graduated from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) with a Master of Science degree. During my Master's program I worked as a teaching assistant in General and Organic Chemistry Laboratories. I was responsible for a brief introduction of the material prior to every lab period. This greatly helped me to learn how to organize material I was to present and explain difficult concepts in a simple manner. At USC as a Ph.D. student, I had a chance to work for the Student Athletes Academic Service where I was a chemistry and math tutor. In addition, during the spring of 2007 I was working as an assistant for the Organic Chemistry Course at LA Trade Tech College, where I was responsible for weekly sessions.