Experience Summary
When I was a high school student, I tutored pre-algebra, geometry and algebra, Shakespeare, World Literature, and Earth Science. I managed my own clients and improved test scores with every client. During the summer of 2005, I tutored mentally disabled children in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. I attended the University of Idaho and have received a B.S. in Mathematics. While there, I worked at the Polya Math Lab, tutoring college algebra. I continued to tutor on my own during college, and have tutored in all forms of vector calculus, from methods of integration to 3d modeling. I have also tutored Abstract Algebra (group and ring theory), Combinatorics, and Number Theory. I am particularly good at walking people through proofs. While at college, I have also helped people develop their writing skills by participating in over 4 semester-long workshops.
Teaching Style
When teaching mathematics, I believe that over half of my job is social skills. Calming my students down, easing their frustration, and making them feel comfortable is over half the battle. It isn't that mathematics is too hard for most people, it is just too frustrating for most people. So my job is to set my client at ease and to create a learning environment. Once that learning environment is created, teaching is easy.
I have worked with difficult students. One, who we will call John, has Autism, Schizophrenia, and vomits when upset. It was my job to teach John how to count money. After trying a variety of methods, we eventually found that learning in traditional environments was too stressful for John. So, we played Monopoly. People had been trying to teach him to count money for months, maybe years. Three weeks after I started with him, I took him to Walmart with a handful of nickels, dimes, and pennies, and he counted out the exact change to buy a Twix Candy bar. It was a proud day.
I care about my students. I share in their triumphs and their failures. I am sensitive to the emotions that can come with needing a tutor. I have over six years of experience with one-on-one tutoring, and have encountered and adapted to a large variety of learning styles. I can help people with any of the different levels of academic skill.