During recess and lunch while I was in grade school, I would be forced to leave my books at my desk. What I feel the school staff didn't understand was that learning was not just something compulsory. Fun shouldn't have been restricted to physical activities, even though to be able to apply what I learned is also enjoyable (whether it is the structure of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat that influence the energy in our food; the closed integral of heat engines; the tricky solution equations from Algebra 1 that determine the ratio of soda and punch, or the different meanings behind stories as one ages which are fascinating to me). The mental leap from symbols on a page to a tangible function for one's life was the part of the education system that I feel was not outright taught but would have benefited my class mates immensely. My love of learning and understanding is what I bring to every student I tutor. I try to show my students why the number pi is used rather than telling them it equals 3.14. I look for parallels between the material in front of us and their own life so that tutoring isn't just an extension of a lecture period.
So far I have tutored one-on-one with students ranging from 5th to 10th grade. When I started tutoring 3 years ago I tutored in math and chemistry and proof read essays. During that time I volunteered as a library tutor and helped any student rather than an established client. Because I tutored any student, the subjects I tutored in branched out to include calculus and physics as well. After moving to LA last year, I started tutoring students who fell under the No Child Left Behind act and tutored as an independent contractor.