Robert Haley Tutoring Services

Every student is unique.  I try to determine where the student is fundamentally having difficulty and cover the relevant material in such a way that missing prerequisite knowledge can be incorporated in the current batch of questions.  Learning how to learn is something I work to teach all the time.

I am a Physicist: B.S., M.S., Ph.D. candidate (resume/CV available on request).  I have worked as an engineer in industrial R&D and new product engineering most of my career.  I have been innovative in Chemistry/Material Science, Electrical Engineering/Controls and Mathematical Modeling for years.  I have designed new antenna systems for the space vehicle applications, new electronic & optical materials, chemical processes/process controls, and over the last few years have been creating machine learning & artificial intelligence software to solve a variety problem types, from finance to power plant analytics & controls.

During my industrial career I have also been an adjunct professor in Physics departments with universities local to my employers, teaching Mathematical Methods in Physics, Electricity & Magnetism, and Quantum Mechanics.  Student evaluations have always been excellent.  In my profession, I must clearly communicate with people having backgrounds sufficiently different from mine  ensuring they gladly embrace my answers to their questions.  Having the knowledge, the ability to communicate well, and the ability to inspire students to accomplish their learning goals makes for a good teacher.

My kids are now high school students and doing very well.  I always meet them where they are in their learning, from preschool to the present day.  I never waste their time showing them things that will distract them from any of their work at hand, but at the same time try to show them why what they’re learning is important.  Now that I am starting my own business, I have the opportunity to continue teaching but now keeping the group size small so that each student gets the most of our time together.

My prices are negotiable.  Everyone needs to make a living and get a reasonable deal for the money they spend.  I want my customers to be happy with the value received from my services.  My typical rate is $25-$30/hr.  Some students needs more time than others and I am delighted to help as much as possible.

I started teaching as a graduate student in Physics, though I did do some tutoring work as an undergrad.  I taught lecture & lab courses in middle and upper level undergraduate levels.  During my industrial career, I have been an adjunct professor in physics with local universities for several years, teaching courses like "Mathematical Methods in Physics".  It matters very much to me that the next generation get all the intellectual development possible.  We all benefit from that.  My student evaluations have been excellent.  I can provide my resume / CV and department chair references on request.

My students traditionally have been college or college-bound students.  However, I have two kids that learn in very different ways and I have worked with them from preschool to the present day.  They are now in high school honors programs.  They are typical kids in the sense that sometimes they need more encouragement than others.  Patience matters at all times.  I do everything I know to do to keep the stresses down and the enthusiasm up

There are many events I attend and enjoy.  Hard to select just one but I enjoy the Greenville SC art festival in the early fall.  Art is important, especially in nature.  I take photography day trips occasionally.  Also, I really enjoy my kids’ ball games and school activities.  Time spent fishing is no vice either!

Regardless of the discipline for which you are seeking help, be sure that the candidate tutor has integrity.  A tutor is there to help you to learn, not just memorize.  As a student, your goal is to learn, not just memorize.  The relationship between a student and teacher is one of trust.  Both must work hard, be honest.  Where there is no honesty, there is no growth.  I have met some of my former students years after the classroom and they have always commented on how much they learned beyond the coursework in my classes.  They improved in all their academic work as a result of learning how to learn the material in my courses.  Stay vigilant.  The right tutor will surface.

Students should always be honest with themselves first.  Ask where you think your background is the weakest.  Clearly, there is a particular class where a student struggles.  There always was for me.  I found that the fastest way for me to grow was to relax (no stress), be honest with myself about what I understand and where I can grow.  One of the goals is to start learning how to learn and to become a decent critical thinker, in any class from Art to Mathematics.

When I was a student, college and graduate school mostly, I asked myself where I was having trouble with certain things.  What did I miss years ago that I should have mastered but did not?  What is it about the giants of science and mathematics that made them what they were?  The answers started, and continued, with being completely honest with myself.  When I did this, I started asking better, deep questions.  I also better understood the answers I received.  I did not stay stuck for long.