Parnassus
About
Superlative Quality. Work very thoughtfully with student to promote interest in self-learning. Special attention given to helping student with skills leading to advanced objectives. For example, I will pay special attention to helping the student with analytic, comparative and evaluative aspects of reading/writing/thinking.
I enjoy helping students see the importance of "method" in their objectives. It is the method that helps guarantee the quality of work.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Understand what they believe they want/need, understand what their strengths/weaknesses are, and then develop a plan to advance them beyond their expectations. It is important to have a good introductory conversation with the student for both of us to develop a solid rapport. A practical plan where a little progress is made every day is the key to success with respect to any long term objective. Older students generally understand why they are studying their materials as well as connect it with their long term objectives. Younger students, on the other hand, have to receive help in connecting studies with larger objectives. Such students need to have the materials brought to life for them.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Ph.D. Philosophy. Also, substantial social and natural sciences. University teaching and research. Substantial experience with advising students. Current business experience involves educational project for middle school to college students.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
As I am new to the area and have just started this service (as a component of a larger Bay Area endeavor), I'm offering, for a limited time, modest rates in order to establish teaching research relationships in the area. Accordingly, depending upon your needs and subject areas, prices begin at $30/hour. Furthermore, the first discussion/session will not be charged so that we may have the opportunity to introduce ourselves, make certain we have a good rapport, and arrive at an agreed upon study program.
If you are not entirely satisfied with a session, compensation will not be accepted.
How did you get started teaching?
Both parents are teachers at high school and community college levels. During my early college studies, I began teaching at high schools and state colleges. After getting my Ph.D., I was hired by major state colleges and universities.
What types of students have you worked with?
Elementary, Middle and High School. Also, at state college, teaching university, and major state research university.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
On 10 September I attended an event - a "SETI Talk" - taking place in Menlo Park. It was a discussion between Brian Keating (Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego) and Alex Filippenko (Professor of Astronomy at UC Berkeley). I wanted to attend for a variety of reasons, one of which is simply that I have very high regard for Professor Filippenko. However, I also wanted to take my 3 children (ages 7, 10, and 12) in order to inspire them in ways that are not so easy to characterize. (As you can imagine, this was a bit of a risk.) Nevertheless, the two older children gained something difficult to describe ("sublime" comes to mind) from the discussion, which was not exactly elementary or middle school in quality/quantity/method. Afterwards, I quietly asked them many questions and we had numerous discussions. The youngest found it funny (e.g., penguin and frog jokes). The middle child found it inspiring (e.g., billions and billions of stars, stardust). The eldest found it thought provoking (e.g., two smart guys but one of them had to be wrong!?). They will not forget it. I will not forget them not forgetting.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Teaching has many sides to it. On the one hand, it should and must be simple, direct, and practical. In short, a good teacher needs to be able to meet the desired needs of the student. However, there is another hand to good teaching. Really good teaching must inspire. The student will need to travel far from the teacher at some point. It may not be terribly simple, not terribly direct, and not terribly practical. Whether this is called a quandary, a conundrum, or a contradiction is not going to help solve the problem; the point is - advanced education is often filled with multidimensional and opposing factors.
Depending upon what you are looking for, start with the simple, direct and practical. But you may neither need nor want to end there. Look for a teacher that inspires you, even if you don't quite understand how or why.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What do I need? (are you sure?)
What do other people think I need? (are they right?)
What do I really need? (reconsider, you might be wrong)
How do I know what kind of a teacher will help me most?