Find a Local Tutor Who Gets It

I have always had a passion for teaching. I am a happy personable person, who truly cares about my students and want to do everything I can to help them succeed. I am trustworthy and reliable and am true to my word. I would love to be able to be a tutor for Grade Potential because I want as much experience as possible before I take on a classroom of my own.

I have a very hands on way of teaching myself and others that involves making large study aids that help to visualize concepts. I enjoy learning and have found that teaching is the best way to learn. I am very resourceful and am prepared to invest a good amount of my time in this kind of work. Essentially, the only really important things I do with my time is attend classes and volunteer at a lab, so I have a set schedule that I can easily plan events around. However, I do not have a car so I would be limited to tutoring people who are also in my area or are easily accessible by public transportation.

I have filled leadership roles since I graduated high school in 2003. I maintain a strict code of honor and understand how important it is to be knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and dependable. The service provided by the company can only be continued if these virtues are continually displayed by its employees, and tutors make up the face of the organization. The contract between a student and a tutor is a very personal one, and it should be completed with the best possible outcome for all parties.I have extensive experience in tutoring both one-on-one and group settings. I've tutored undergraduates, given lectures to non-academic crowds, and helping high-school students with their general science questions. Again, I am a certified tutor with formal instruction on tutoring techniques, how to handle difficult students, communication, active listening, etc.

I'm very reliable and punctual, and have a fundamental understanding of high school and college level mathematics. However, the primary reason why I'd be a good tutor is that I love teaching math to anyone, regardless of their academic interests. I find math to be not only logical, but very creative, and especially enjoy teaching math to artists and people who "hate math". Everyone approaches mathematical problems in a different way(for instance many people try to use their geometric intuition whenever possible, while others prefer to approach problems analytically via algebraic manipulation). My broad exposure to mathematics and mathematicians allows me to see multiple perspectives of a problem so I can tailor my explanation to each student's thought process and learning style. I am extremely patient with and empathetic towards students having difficulty understanding material, in part due to my ceaseless struggle to learn more mathematics. My friends and family tell me that my passion for mathematics is contagious, and tutoring is a wonderful opportunity to disseminate my love for this beautiful and often misunderstood subject.

I have a very firm outlook on education and believe that all students should have an equal opportunity to receive the help that they need. Every student has questions and needs someone to help guide them through their educational experience. As someone who has utilized student tutors and private tutors for the past 14 years, I know how important it is to have a connection with someone who can give you that extra support and push to work hard and get great grades you can be proud of.As stated above, I tutored consistently for a family of two girls in the elementary and high school level in math, English, social studies and science. I helped the girls construct the classic "five paragraph essay" with an introductory, thesis, body paragraphs and a conclusion. I feel like this is definitely a strong suit for me as well as editing papers and giving constructive criticism. I am also very strong in the sciences, as I started out as a Biology major at BU then decided to pursue medicine in the health sciences.

I have worked as a tutor for over five years, and in that time I have worked with a remarkably diverse set of students. High school students trying to better their SAT score, adults returning to basic math after decades out of school, seniors taking community college classes for recreation, and international athletes working to improve their English have all come to me for tutoring. I am grateful for this incredibly wide variety of experiences, as it has trained me to be a highly adaptable tutor. It is now very natural for me to quickly gauge a student's level of understanding and adjust the tempo of the session accordingly, and to always be searching for the most effectively style of guidance for that particular person.I own a car and have a daily planner that never leaves my side, so it is very difficult for me to forget about my appointments even if I try. I take the success of my students very seriously once I have made a commitment to them, and it extremely rare that I would ask a student to reschedule or cancel a session. I have also worked as a private tutor for several years, and I understand the time and effort required to travel to someone else's home for work. As such, I have learned not to overstretch myself by committing to an unrealistic schedule.

I see all too frequently in the students I tutor a disbelief in their own ability to comprehend a topic because they think they're not smart enough. I'm not quite sure why so many students feel this way, but it is precisely this feeling I try to combat with my tutoring and my student outreach. Don't get me wrong, helping the students to understand the material they are struggling with is certainly important, but I believe that showing them they are capable of understanding ideas they thought they'd never be able to and thereby building their self-confidence in their intelligence will help them achieve more in the long run.Case and point, one of the outreach activities I've been involved with while studying at UCSB has been to teach elementary and middle school students how speakers work. In fact, together we build speakers out of a paper plate, a coil of wire, and a pair of magnets. The look of awe on these students' faces when that paper plate starts playing music is a wonderful thing. I realize that their amazement is in part because it's a paper plate playing music, but my goal is that part of their amazement is also in the fact that they now understand how a speaker - a device that we use dozens of times each day, but which most of those students never thought they'd understand - actually works. By placing this goal in the forefront of my tutoring/teaching strategy, and by showing the students that they are capable of things beyond their self-imposed limitations, I believe I can help these students more than I could if I simple sought to teach them the raw material.

I currently work for Santa Maria Joint Union High School District as a Home and Hospital Teacher. In this position, I am pretty much fulfilling what would be required of me by Grade Potential by meeting with students in their homes at a required time of the day. I am also required to be in constant contact with my students, their parents and administrators with regards to meeting times, places, and the material being worked on. Being prompt and professional is something that I feel is important to both myself as well as my students and their parents. During meetings, I am required to teach new material as well as go over previously learned material. I also help student figure out a new way of looking at an idea that confuses them in a kind, understanding and patient way. When working with a student, I try to find their particular learning style and adjust the material to this.