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Matilda: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...middle school students algebra, trigonometry, social studies, science, reading, writing, and ESL. I also mentored and tutored a 2nd grade student for over a year and a half, assisting with phonics learning and speech development to prepare for state testing. My teaching philosophy is that students can attain any goal with enough motivation, the willingness...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science
Test Scores
ACT Composite: 32
ACT English: 35
ACT Reading: 34
Carmen: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...I completed my graduate program with a Masters of Art in teaching at the University of Southern California, I also have a background in Nutrition and have been providing nutrition education for over 10 years. My mission is to ensure that every child succeeds and feels proud of their accomplishments. I am thrilled for this...
Education & Certification
Master of Arts Teaching, Education
Anushka: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...Southern California majoring in Psychology with a minor in Business, and I'm on the pre-med track. With a strong academic background and a passion for helping others, I bring enthusiasm and dedication to every tutoring session. My goal is to help students understand and enjoy learning, building their confidence along the way. Let's achieve success...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Psychology
Eric: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
Hey, this is Eric! I'm a student at the University of Southern California and I'm majoring in computer science and minoring in mathematics. I'm great at explaining STEM concepts and have experience with teaching Stanford's STEM to SHTEM research program.
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
Rachel: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...with my students because I see myself in them and I strive to be a light to them like my tutor was to me. I have experience tutoring high school students in pre-calculus and physics, but I am well versed in various other levels of mathematics. I provide a thorough explanation of the material before...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Engineering, Aerospace Engineering
Bachelor of Science, Engineering Physics
Michael: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...clubs in high school, in addition to volunteering at summer camps. My favorite subject is chemistry, but I enjoy tutoring all things math and physics, too. I am currently enrolled at the University of Southern California, working towards my bachelor's in Pharmacology and Drug Development before continuing on to get my PharmD. I believe that...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Irene: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Consumer Behavior. Irene's college education was largely paid for by merit scholarships she earned by becoming a National Merit Scholar (selected based on PSAT performance) and scoring in the 99.9th percentile on the SAT. With two years of professional experience in finance, she has also worked...
Education & Certification
Bachelor in Business Administration, Business Administration and Management
Calvin: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...a way that works best for them. What I Can Provide? - Tailored lessons designed just for you - Interactive and stress-free learning experience - Proven strategies to boost understanding, retention, and critical thinking I believe learning should be both empowering and enjoyable. By creating a supportive and encouraging environment, I help students develop strong...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, International Relations
Prathamesh: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...various subjects for nearly 5 years at University. Starting in my sophomore year I taught fundamentals of engineering at Ohio State - With a class size of 72 students per section the course introduced students to Matlab, CAD (AutoDesk), Microsoft Excel, Technical graphics, Subject specific labs, design projects, Microfluidics and teamwork. I also taught a...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Master of Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Doctor of Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Savanna: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...I've been teaching since 2017, working with both middle and high school students in traditional classrooms and independent 1:1 settings. I believe every student has unique learning needs, and my passion is meeting them where they arebuilding their confidence and transforming challenges into mastered skills. My goal is to make learning engaging, accessible, and empowering...
Education & Certification
Bachelor in Arts, Journalism
Masters in Education, Education
State Certified Teacher
Jillian: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...emotional interviews, compelling video, animated voice overs and poised on camera live shots. I just finished a stint as a Public Affairs Specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration. My educational background at the University of Southern California, and TEFL certification, along with other knowledge gained through on-the-job learning, make me a great option for your...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Broadcast Journalism
Tae Woo: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...and applied data science. I've worked with students ranging from middle school through graduate-level, helping them build confidence in math, statistics, coding, and analytical thinking. I bring a clear, engaging teaching style grounded in real-world applications, whether it's solving algebra problems or diving into Python and SQL. I've also worked with organizations like the American...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics
Master of Science, Computer Science
Test Scores
ACT Composite: 34
Cameron: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...modeling. I believe great tutoring is about more than just knowing the materialit's about breaking it down in a way that's intuitive and encouraging. I tailor every session to the student's learning style and goals, using real-world examples, visual aids, and active questioning to keep things engaging. Whether we're reviewing calculus, debugging code, or working...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Computational Mathematics
Master of Science, Financial Mathematics
Aran: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...served as a leadership counselor for the National Youth Leadership Training program and Badger Boys State, where I mentored students from diverse backgrounds. Tutoring students is an incredibly rewarding experience for both the tutor and tutee, as one gets to improve their craft while the other is introduced to crucially transformative knowledge for the first...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Computational Science
Test Scores
ACT Composite: 36
ACT English: 36
ACT Math: 36
Hannah: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...through tutoring. I love the process of teaching tutees how to master problem solving, rather than memorizing steps and formulas, so that they can consistently and effectively apply the concepts that they have learned in new ways. My goal is to push students to think about concepts in new ways and give them an understanding...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering
Steven: North Aurora tutor
Certified Tutor
...law firm. During this time, I also volunteered with The Gideons International and was active in leadership and training other volunteers. I left my law firm to join the staff of The Gideons International that operated in 200 countries to lead a new division focusing on updating the communications for its worldwide membership. In this...
Education & Certification
Bachelor of Science, Political Science and Government
Juris Doctor, Law Enforcement Administration
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Recent North Aurora Tutoring Session Notes
I used the student's past precalculus tests to prepare a set of problems targeting the types of questions that had previously challenged him. Specifically, we reviewed algebraic solutions to equations involving exponential and logarithmic transformations, as well as subtle domain restrictions (e.g., given f(x) = x^2 and g(x) = sqrt(x), f(g(x)) = x, but x must still be greater than or equal to 0 due to the restriction imposed by g(x)). We also derived the proof of the rotation transformation in 2-dimensions, in order to better understand how a hyperbola might be rotated around the origin. Given a rotated coordinate system XY and the "natural"ù coordinate system xy, this involves representing an XY function in terms of xy through algebraic substitution.
We also used his current chapter in AP Biology as a springboard for a discussion of memory and learning. I specifically asked him about his understanding of memory, and how he attempts to learn and remember the new material he reads. He said that he simply reads it and tries to remember what he read. I explained that there is a common misconception in our culture that memory is automatic or genetic or just sort of happens on its own, when memory is actually a skill that can be practiced and improved like any other. I then elaborated on ways to improve memory.
First, I mentioned the importance of appreciating hierarchy when trying to learn and remember new information. I explained this by pointing out that we will never make it through the simplest of short stories if we insist on understanding every detail of the mechanics of the car the main character drives, and the coffee he drinks, and the newspaper article he reads on page two. In other words, we are constantly attempting to understand big pictures without having enough time to understand the details of all the little pictures that form the big ones. Given this reality, we must learn general processes, i.e., the skeleton of a story, before we can really start to see how all of the little processes come together, even though we don't necessarily know exactly what the little processes are. This means that we must always come to understand complex material by passing over it many times, first taking in the most general relationships, and then slowly expanding our understanding of the details that connect those general relationships. Then we slowly expand our understanding of the details that connect the first set of details... etc... and it is through this process that we come to understand the deeper connections of dense material over time.
To put this concept a little differently: our general understanding of any relationship is always a necessary foundation for our detailed understanding of that relationship. In short, we must accept that reading the same material multiple times is often a necessary component of learning that material deeply. Only very simple subject matter can be comprehensively understood at first glance.
We also discussed the power of associative memory techniques. I mentioned that when learning new information, it is helpful to think of that information in many different ways, even using different senses. In other words, the linguistic, visual, aural, practical, and emotive nature of new information should always be given attention. This practice will create additional pathways to the same memory, thereby increasing the likelihood that we can find a way to recall that memory. Relating new information to our sense of personal identity is also one of the strongest ways to improve storage and recall.
I concluded by briefly mentioning Joshua Foer and his research on memory competitions. Foer interviewed many "memory athletes"ù and asked them how they perform such incredible feats of memory. He discovered that most of them do so through ancient memorization techniques which intentionally incorporate our spatial memory in the storage and retrieval of data. They almost universally claimed that they were not uniquely gifted and that they are utilizing a well-practiced skill in order to remember information as well as they do. Skeptical and eager to test the limits of these techniques, Joshua practiced aggressively for a year. After learning the technique, he returned to one such competition as a competitor instead of a journalist, and in 2006, he won the United States Memory Championship. I encouraged the student to look into Joshua Foer's story and the "memory palace"ù learning strategy.
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This was my first session, and we pretty much went straight to work. The student had a worksheet for homework that was over simplifying variables with exponents. The sheet was double-sided and progressed in difficulty. He slowly worked through the sheet, but finished with about 20 minutes left. I did give him a short break in the middle so he wouldn't be burned out. I made one last problem to do, which combined everything we had practiced. He got through the whole problem. Concept-wise, he got everything correct. He is taking three math courses currently to catch up with other classmates and be on the same grade-level. I talked to him about what subjects he does enjoy and some hobbies he has. Math used to be his favorite subject, but now due to difficulty, is his least, while literature switched from difficult to favorite. I told him I'd try to bring problems next time that were more relatable to the real world and hopefully more exciting.
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This evening, the student and I worked on a couple of word problems he procured from his classwork. It was a slow go in the beginning, as we took some time to figure out the best methods to answer each problem visually. He seemed a bit rushed and hasty in the beginning of the session. But once we tackled those problems and moved onto his homework, I noticed a pattern. He seemed to be getting tripped up on dealing with fractions. Namely, converting numerators after identifying the lowest common denominator. But with some practice exercises I wrote up for him and introducing a few drills to convert mixed numbers, he seemed to really take on an understanding of the processes. It was nice to see. He's a quick study, once he opens up about what his weaknesses are.
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The student got a 49/50 on her most recent algebra test on conics - phenomenal work on that! - and things are going well in the current subjects (exponentials/logarithms). She had some confusion on the current chemistry content, so we spent most of the class discussing that - light waves, light energy, the Bohr model of the atom/energy levels, spectra, electron configuration, etc. We went through all of her worksheets and by the end she was doing an excellent job of describing excited state configurations, and listing the ground configurations of elements from the periodic table. She asked some great deeper-learning questions about how electron configurations relate to valence shells and the "full valence desire" that atoms have.
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We reviewed an assigned review packet and reviewed a previous quiz to examine where the student lost points. He understands material, but tends to lose points due to little mistakes. We discussed slowing down and ways to double check in the middle of the problem.
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I really enjoyed working with the student! We went over what to expect with the PSAT and how it has changed over the last year. We also discussed strategies for the Reading and Writing/Language section of the PSAT. I have asked her to employ the strategies we discussed as she completes the Writing Section and the Reading Section of the Sample PSAT. We will go over the answers and discuss missed questions next time we meet (on Wednesday). I will also be sending her several resources to review (grammar resources and reading comprehension resources). Next week we will discuss strategies for the Mathematics section.
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