Our Tutors

Michael M

Teaching Style

Making school awesome for students is challenging, but it is something that gives me a lot of satisfaction. Before I begin teaching, I create several goals and strategies to make it clear what I expect and what direction we want to go. I emphasize that as long as they give it a 100% effort, they will do well. I use as many teaching tools as possible. I make the concepts as clear as possible, and I check for understanding before we move on. I make classes interesting by connecting the material to things they like. I also like to incorporate games. Finally, I like to maintain a sense of humor. This not only allows class to be enjoyable, but the students do better when they are relaxed. The combination of organization, making the material clear, using various methods, and making the classes fun is how I make teaching successful and enjoyable.

Experience Summary

As a graduate in meteorology with a minor in math, I have had plenty of experience with math and science. I have had the pleasure of sharing this knowledge by tutoring children in these fields. My first experience occurred when I was a senior in college: I tutored students in math individually and in groups. It was enjoyable to assist students in Algebra up to Calculus. I gained more tutoring experience when I assisted high school and college students while I worked for Carney Educational Services recently. I have also been a teacher. First, I gained some valuable experience as a substitute teacher. Then, I had a blast while I was an instructor at Astrocamp. Getting kids excited about science was awesome.

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.

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.

Ryan R

Teaching Style

My teaching style is patient and thorough. I like to think of myself as a guide for students who are having difficulty in areas of math and science. I urge them to do the work, answer the questions, and ultimately earn the rewards of learning and discovery.

Experience Summary

I have a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Chicago, a Masters degree in Physics from the University of Wisconsin, and am currently writing my doctoral thesis in Physics at the University of Wisconsin. I have enjoyed the opportunity to tutor math and science on a number of occasions at the U of C and UW, in small groups and one-on-one. I have also taught introductory physics courses at the University of Wisconsin, Driscoll Catholic High School, and the National University of Health Science. Years of teaching and research in science and math have made me very comfortable explaining and teaching these subjects.

Sam S

Teaching Style

I find a great deal of personal satisfaction in imparting knowledge to others. I am patient, open-minded and respect the individuality of those with whom I work. At the same time I am dedicated to the progress of those I teach and keep focused on the ultimate educational goal. Nothing is more important, to an individual's happiness and well-being than learning. Learning opens up doors heretofore closed. I recognize and respect the impact a teacher can have on a student's life. A person's education reverberates down through all the years of one's life.

Experience Summary

In my business career one of my most important tasks was to train individuals and groups in the use of computer software. I found it most rewarding to see individuals become more knowledgeable and thus, be able to perform their jobs more efficiently. Another task I performed was as a liaison or translator between technical people and business system users. I was charged with explaining the needs of business users to the technical staff. This required patience and interpersonal skill, so that, all parties became sufficiently knowledgeable to enable a successful result. Both my children had learning disabilities. This necessitated that I insure that homework assignments were completed. I also tutored my children in a wide variety of subjects (spelling, English, math) to supplement the efforts of their teachers. This required a commitment to the learning process and accommodation to their individual learning styles.

Nicole N

Teaching Style

Being a tutor allows one to reach out and find the most personal and effective way to connect and instruct a student. My exposure to the many learning styles of students has taught me the importance of first understanding the student's learning style. I also believe it is important for teachers to find motivating factors for students. Lastly, I believe it is the teacher's responsibility to make learning fun for each student. When in combination, these factors create a successful learning environment for students.

Experience Summary

I have been working with children of all ages, from diverse backgrounds, and in a variety of environments for many years. I have been a camp counselor, swim instructor, piano teacher, and religious education teacher. I currently have been substitute teaching in grades K-12. My bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Communication studies in addition to my current graduate work has allowed me a strong command of the English language. I am most confident teaching reading, writing, and other areas of language arts. My vast array of experiences has also allowed me comfort in teaching the basics of mathematics, science, and the arts.

Andy A

Teaching Style

I am grateful that school was easy for me, but I also know that for many children the task of discovering, understanding, making sense of, and retaining information can be tough and may seem almost overwhelming. All children can learn and there is no better way to instill that desire in them, than to work one-on-one or in small groups. All subjects can be made interesting, and I feel I have a knack for making the "boring" material come alive with relevance and excitement.

Experience Summary

Upon graduating from Johns Hopkins with a degree in writing, I substitute taught full-time at the high school and the middle school levels in the small upstate New York town where I grew up. Since my days as a substitute teacher, I have worked as a freelance writer, Senior Editor at a major publishing company, Senior Copywriter at an ad agency, and attended grad school. Over the past 15 years, I have tutored a number of high school students primarily in English, social studies, paper-writing, and general test-taking strategies.

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.