Award-Winning ASPIRE Tutors serving Tacoma, WA

...my husband is a structural engineer as well! I started tutoring students my own age when I was in high school. My friends' parents would "hire" me to help their children, and so I started teaching material I had just learned myself. It was so much fun. After I got to college, I started working at the Mathematics Lab on campus where I tutored students in college level math ranging from College Algebra through Differential...

Hello! My name is Kate, and I have 10 years of experience as a tutor and as an informal educator. I love connecting with students and helping them grow.

...complex and challenging material accessible and enjoyable for a wide range of students. At all levels, I encourage both the hesitant and eager students to succeed. I tailor lesson plans to different learning styles and abilities. With the extra attention I give, my students consistently tell me they have learned more than they ever thought possible for themselves. Many of my students once nervous about math or science went on to major in these subjects...

...then, I've spent most of the last two decades teaching students to read, write, analyze and think critically. I especially love working with students one-on-one because it gives me an opportunity to customize my teaching methods to the particular student's ways of learning. I have experience teaching thousands of students from diverse backgrounds and with a variety of strengths and weaknesses as learners. In the end, I'm interested not just in helping students complete particular...

...near perfect score on my math SATs. I have instructed students 2nd through 12th grade at a math tutoring center where I acquired a variety of methods for teaching math skills and numerical fluency. My personal strength is in identifying an individual's challenges and figuring out an approach that will work with that person's style of thinking. I excel at making math fun and interesting for students. I am also conversational in Spanish. In my...

...most enjoyment (and was also the most effective) in smaller group and one-on-one sessions. I try to teach through Socratic questioning and encouraging autonomy in my students, as independence is a crucial step to true understanding of subject material. I also try to teach concepts rather than questions, as being able to answer a question will answer just that-one question. Teaching to the concept will allow you to answer the question and all other questions...

As an engineering student, I am very familiar with high level math, physics, chemistry, and other STEM courses, as well as English, writing, and public speaking. I can use teaching methods demonstrated by my professors to teach others. In high school, I tutored younger students in Latin, using techniques like flashcards and quizzes.

...verbal/ACT English prep at a learning center in Bellevue. I tutor all subjects and test preps relating to English, Language Arts, Reading and Literature, and I enjoy tutoring for Social Studies and History. My personal interest in art and philosophy has led me to consider branching out to tutor those subjects as well. I most enjoy tutoring for SAT Verbal, because of the combination of test-taking strategies, practice with challenging vocabulary and grammatical rules, and...

...software, I offer a well-rounded, personalized approach to learning. I believe that every student can excel with the right support, so I tailor each session to fit individual learning styles and needs. My goal is to break down complex concepts, transforming challenging subjects into manageableand even enjoyablelearning experiences. Seeing my students grow in confidence and mastery is the most rewarding part of my work. If you're looking for a patient, dedicated tutor who is committed...

...study abroad learning about social justice in India. My last quarter of college was an internship teaching ESL in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. While I love studying literature of all genres, I feel the most impactful literary experience is one that deeply resonates with the reader, and inspires them to write their own stories. This is why I am an advocate for detailed, creative, and personal essay writing. The most powerful essay or piece of academic writing...

...joy in learning. My approach is tailored to each individual, focusing on building understanding, confidence, and curiosity. I believe that every challenge is an opportunity to grow, and I strive to create an environment where questions are encouraged, mistakes are embraced as part of the process, and progress feels exciting. Whether it's mastering new concepts, preparing for exams, or simply developing better study habits, I am committed to making learning engaging, empowering, and meaningful. Together,...

...calculus. In college, I continued to tutor students in these subjects. In graduate school, I served as a lab TA in which I taught students about electrical engineering and helped the students with their homework, labs, and projects. Currently, I am an electrical engineer designing the next generation of power management integrated circuits. I chose the field of analog IC design due to the confluence of device physics, mathematics, and art. Outside of my work,...

...they are given, and are able to retain and utilize the concepts that I have taught them. I know that they usually understand or master the topics I teach them, because I informally assess them at the end of the session and their results are at or above the level they are expected to be at. In addition, I use approaches where I relate the subject matter to their personal interests where they can form...

...relevant manner so that we can all learn and achieve success. One-on-one tutoring is an effective technique, particularly for explaining and modeling math, and I enjoy seeing students attitudes toward school brighten when they see immediate progress in their work. As a writing tutor, I like to focus on helping students find their authentic voice. Essays succeed when students strip away the extraneous material and present themselves and their ideas honestly, and I think with...

...After graduating I began my undergraduate education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently ranked by US News as the number one university in the country. At MIT I am pursuing a degree in mathematics. During this time I have acquired great experience in tutoring and teaching. I have a total of 8 years of experience tutoring mathematics, particularly calculus. I also have 5 years of experience tutoring in the sciences, such...

...Physics. I am currently working at an experimental physics lab at the University of Maryland, College Park. My tutoring style is pretty relaxed. In my experience, if someone knows what question to ask then they are already pretty close to the answer; they just need a push in the right direction. I like to help people talk through the problems. My job is to steer you in the right direction and help you reach that...

...at New York University. My love for mathematics eventually led to virtual tutoring through Florida Virtual School where I tutored over 150 hours in Pre-Calculus, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Chemistry. I love to teach because it lets me share my enthusiasm for mathematics and science with other students and helps me get a deeper understanding of material that is useful for my higher level mathematics and physics courses. As a tutor, I break...

...and co-founded a nationally-ranked improv team called Captain Soldier. I also spent an unforgettable semester abroad at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nowadays, I work with a theatre company called Grey Room NYC and a non-profit organization called Leave Out Violence. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, playing and watching basketball (Go Bulls!), enjoying funny television shows (Louie is my favorite), and playing music (guitar & piano). I consider myself...

...on an individual level, I was able to unlock a lot of creativity. If students write about what they know, rather than what they think someone would like to hear, they often become much more authentic writers. I love to watch football with my roommate and friends (Go Texans!) and have started getting into basketball since I moved to Chicago. I have a beautiful cat named Daisy and I love to swim and be outside!

...learning activities that relax student's inhibitions. Thus, allowing them to take chances, a skill that is crucial to progress in a new system of communication. As a second language learner myself, I understand the trials students must face in language acquisition and this translates into a sense of empathy for both the struggles and rewards of the learning process. My teaching experience is centered on providing students with the skills they need to develop their...