Award-Winning Middle School Math Tutors
serving Columbia, SC

Biomedical engineering at South Carolina means Janay solves math problems daily that started as the exact skills middle schoolers are learning now — manipulating expressions, working with ratios, and translating word problems into equations. She's close enough to her own middle and high school math experience to remember what actually made tricky concepts click, and she uses that recent perspective to break down topics like decimal operations and basic geometry in ways that feel approachable rather than overwhelming.

I've helped several hundred students in a wide variety of subjects, from executive functioning to computer science to standardized testing. I also help students with general support in math and English. Most of my students are around 9-17, but I work well with students who are older and a little younger as well. I also work very well with students who have specific obstacles or requirements, such as neurodiversity support or schedules that change a lot. Most of my background is in computer science, from my college major to my experience hands-on over the past 10 years. Regardless of the subject, I believe every student's needs are unique and every student is able to achieve great things with the right preparation and support. My number one goal is to provide that whenever I can, both to the student and to their parents. I communicate with parents outside of sessions a lot to establish their expectations, better understand students, and recommend ways they can directly support their children in their journey as well.

Fractions, ratios, and proportions click faster when a student sees how the numbers connect to real measurement problems — something Katheryn picked up from years of chemistry coursework where precise calculation is non-negotiable. She breaks down multi-step word problems and integer operations into clear, repeatable strategies that build genuine number sense.

The jump from arithmetic to algebraic thinking trips up a lot of middle schoolers, especially when variables, ratios, and negative numbers enter the picture. David breaks these ideas down using patterns and visual models that make abstract concepts feel concrete — an approach shaped by years of studying how people actually learn.

The jump from arithmetic to middle school math trips up a lot of students, especially when ratios, percentages, and coordinate graphing all land at once. Rachael tackles these topics by keeping material organized into clear categories and showing how each concept connects to the next. As someone who genuinely enjoys math, she makes the transition feel manageable instead of overwhelming.

I have a BS in both Mathematics and Chemistry from Emory University and MSc in Quantum Science and Technology from Trinity College Dublin. My master's thesis focused on my research on quantifying causality in quantum systems. As a Tutor, I see it as my job to help you understand what you already know and connect that to what you want to know. I believe the best way to learn any concept is to approach it from several perspectives to develop a more comprehensive understanding and find the framing you find most intuitive. It is my goal to help you develop the skills and confidence to realize how to solve problems on your own and directly identify any misconceptions or gaps in knowledge. I would love to share my passion for science, mathematics, and learning with students that share my passion and enjoy challenging themselves.

Kelly teaches across both math and writing — an uncommon combination that pays off in middle school math, where decoding a word problem is half the battle and knowing how to organize your thinking on paper makes multi-step work far less overwhelming. Her 1430 SAT score confirms she's comfortable with the quantitative side, and her 5.0 rating suggests she's just as comfortable breaking down fractions, decimals, and early equation-solving in ways that actually land.

Ten years of tutoring across elementary through college levels means Rachelle has watched the same stumbling blocks repeat — negative numbers tripping up sixth graders, fraction-to-decimal conversions derailing seventh graders, the first taste of variables overwhelming eighth graders. Her music composition background actually sharpens her math teaching: composing requires constant pattern recognition and structural thinking, skills she brings to breaking down multi-step problems into logical sequences students can follow. She covers the full spread of middle school topics but is especially effective at helping kids organize their work so careless mistakes stop snowballing.

Getting past the Jeopardy! Online Test takes quick mental math and pattern recognition — two skills Paula now brings to teaching middle schoolers topics like ratios, integer operations, and basic geometry. Her psychology background also gives her a read on how students process new information, so she adjusts her explanations based on what's actually clicking rather than just repeating the same steps louder. Rated 4.8 by students.

Running a tutoring program at a charter middle school in Boston gave Liz a front-row seat to every common math struggle sixth through eighth graders face — from proportional reasoning to coordinate graphing to early work with expressions and equations. She pairs that classroom experience with a Master's in Special Education, which means she's practiced at adapting explanations on the fly for different learning styles. Rated 4.7 by students and families.

Emily's biology training at Yale — where molecular and cellular coursework meant constant work with ratios, concentrations, and quantitative modeling — gives her a fluency with the math middle schoolers are formalizing that goes well beyond textbook drills. She's particularly strong at helping kids see how fractions, decimals, and early variable work connect to each other as one coherent system rather than a pile of disconnected rules. Rated 5.0 by students.

From fractions and decimals in sixth grade to linear equations and geometry in eighth, middle school math covers an enormous range in a short time. Jessica's teaching background with students ages 8–15 means she knows exactly where the common stumbling blocks are — and how to address them before they snowball. She tailors her explanations to each student's reasoning style, whether that means visual models, real-world examples, or structured practice.

Julie is pursuing a certificate in Statistics and Machine Learning alongside her philosophy degree at Princeton — a combination that means she thinks about math both computationally and conceptually. For middle schoolers tackling pre-algebra and proportional reasoning, she breaks down each problem's logic so students understand the *why* before memorizing the *how*. Rated 4.9 by families.

Fractions, ratios, and early equation-solving can feel like a sudden leap from the arithmetic kids are used to — Greg breaks those transitions down so the logic behind each step is clear. His chemistry background at Cornell means he's constantly using middle school math concepts in real-world contexts, which gives students a reason to care about what they're learning. Rated 5.0 by students.

Most of Samuel's tutoring centers on writing and language arts, but his math roster runs from elementary through calculus — and middle school is where those subjects quietly overlap, since word problems and multi-step equations demand the same careful reading skills he teaches in English. He's especially effective at slowing students down to decode what a problem is actually asking before they start computing. Rated 5.0 by students.

Until about age 16, Viktor thought math was a boring exercise in memorizing formulas — which means he understands exactly how a middle schooler feels staring down fractions, ratios, or integer operations. What changed his mind was a teacher who showed him why the rules work, and that's the approach he brings to every session. He unpacks each concept so students carry understanding forward instead of forgetting everything after the test.

The jump from arithmetic to algebraic thinking is where middle school math gets genuinely hard — variables, proportional reasoning, and negative numbers all arrive at once. Talia has spent three years tutoring middle schoolers through exactly this transition, and she's skilled at spotting the specific conceptual gap that's causing a student to struggle rather than just re-explaining the procedure.

Ratios, proportions, and early equation-solving can feel abstract to middle schoolers who've only ever worked with straightforward arithmetic. Marisa bridges that gap by connecting each new concept to something concrete — turning word problems into stories and fractions into visual models that actually click.

Ratios, proportions, and pre-algebraic thinking click faster when students can see them — and Mimi's background in visual and object-based learning means she naturally turns abstract middle school math concepts into something concrete. Her Harvard Ed.M. trained her to design lessons around how each learner actually thinks, not just how the textbook is organized.

Ratios, proportions, basic geometry, and early equation-solving can feel abstract to a middle schooler without the right context. Aimee pulls from her engineering training to turn these topics into tangible problems — calculating rocket fuel ratios or scaling a bridge model — so the math clicks instead of feeling like busywork.