James: Waterloo tutor

Certified Tutor

I received my B.S. in chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Western Oregon University. Then, I received my master's in natural resources and a graduate certificate in geographic info. science from Oregon State University. Currently, I am completing 2 additional master's degrees through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. I have tutored in many different subjects including math, physics, chemistry, English, and ESL; however, my favorite subject continues to be mathematics because of the diversity of its applications. For example, I can still remember struggling through series and sequence calculus. Near the end of the term, during our introduction to linear algebra, the professor showed us what the formulas looked like in 3-dimensional space using computation software. He started with the equation for a sphere then showed us how to translate and deform the sphere. When he put the equation and the transformations in order, it looked like a ball hitting the ground, flattening a bit, bouncing up and moving forward. From then, I was fascinated by mathematics. As a tutor, I believe strongly in personal empowerment and I only lead as much as is necessary to equip the student so that eventually the student has a high degree of comprehension and the skills needed to direct his or her future learning. When I am not tutoring, I am working in ministry or I am volunteering for our local Cub Scout pack or fire department.