SAT STATISTICS ENGLISH MATHEMATICS (GEOMETRY) MATHEMATICS (ALGEBRA) ACT WRITING MATHEMATICS (TRIGONOMETRY) LITERATURE

Expertise

From Berkeley to Oakland and from Woodland Hills all through The Valley, I did a decade of car-commuting tutoring in my tiny Toyota in the Bay Area and Los Angeles before making the jump back east this winter, becoming a subway-powered tutor here in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Over the last decade, I've instructed students of all ages, from tots to graduates. I've prepared high-schoolers for such brain teasers as the SAT and ACT. I've also succeeded with these students in their English and mathematics courses, and the AP tests which accompany them. I can teach both sides of the fence, yes, both English writing and math, AP English, AP trigonometry, even AP statistics.

I've trained with and written curriculum for some smart outfits: Wheeler Test Prep., Crowning Point, Academic Training Services, InSIGHT Prep., and James Eno SAT Tutorials. I've learned tutoring in many styles, in one-on-one sessions and in classrooms, at home or in the office; and I've taught from pre-fabbed syllabi and even authored my own SAT-specific grammar guides.

TEST PREP: I've helped students reason (and often laugh) their way through tests and dramatically increase their scores. One mom wrote my boss praising my first session with her son, "he learned more in 90 minutes with her than he did during a whole semester class of SAT prep in Europe. He also likes working with her." In only three weeks of tutoring, I brought another student's SAT score up 120 points.

ACADEMIC COURSEWORK: I have transformed C students to A students. I helped one student, who had been struggling in math, maintain nothing but A grades through three years of algebra I, II, and geometry. Another mom wrote me to say, “Thanks to you, he felt confident about his math test. He pronounced on Wednesday that he ‘aced it.’” I’ve had similar results guiding students through their English courses, maintaining A grades and comprehensive understanding. I can be pretty strict about vocabulary and grammar, but very open to seeing an old text in a new light. I always encourage my students to go with their guts, rather than what they think they should say. After all, it's hard work to articulate real thoughts.

Teaching Methods

I'm a strong advocate of student-centered learning. I don't teach so much as I guide by asking questions. I strive to spark curiosity and instill the skills needed for a lifetime of independent learning. While critical thinking is the most valuable skill a person can have, I also try to elicit that pure thrill of epiphany that makes learning captivating. What better feeling than when ideas harmonize?

TEST PREP: If studying for a standardized test, such as the SAT, ACT, or an AP test, we’ll want to start training at least three months before the test date. I recommend a 2-hour session and 3 hours of homework per week. Throughout those months, we’ll cover the entire content of the test and the strategies specific to beating it.

Before we start, we’ll need a diagnostic score. If you don’t already have one, don’t worry! I have plenty of tests for you to get started. Different books have different strengths. For example, McGraw Hill tends to have questions that mimic the real test accurately, but Barron’s tends to have more challenging questions. So we’ll determine what brand of book(s) to use based on your diagnostic score.

The first session will be an introduction to the test, its format, and general strategies about penalty guessing or reordering questions. We’ll also cover a more specific section of the test in great detail. For the SAT, for example, I think it’s wise to begin with critical reading on that first day, since the reading section generally takes the most time to master.

The next few sessions will cover the rest of the test’s sections, exploring new strategies. This is also the time to weed out any weaknesses in the subject matter.

After all the major test subjects and strategies have been thoroughly reviewed, we will take a practice test every week. This is a great time to note progress made and to focus on eliminating remaining weak spots.

A few days before the test, we’ll have our last session. We’ll review problems, strategies, and relax. The day before the test, you’ll eat well and have a good night’s rest.

ACADEMIC COURSEWORK: If we’re following your school’s coursework, we’ll mostly use your textbook to work from, and your course will become the main part of our curriculum. During session, I will ask questions about the subject matter, and we’ll investigate anything you’re unsure about. Usually, this involves connecting the problems at hand to a greater concept of the course and further practice. Depending on the time available, I may assign or even create practice exercises specific to the issue at hand.