Ph.G. Math Tutoring

Ph.G. Math Tutoring

5.0Exceptional(9 reviews)
Offers online services
Offers online services

About

I have a Ph.D. in Mathematics, I am Education Certified in Illinois, and I love tutoring math. I am qualified to tutor for any math course from middle school up through college graduation level. This includes the full calculus sequence and well beyond, plus math-heavy courses like statistics. At the very advanced college math majors upper class level, there are some courses that I might be less comfortable tutoring, but contact me and we can discuss it.

Tutoring high level material is fun. But unlike many Ph.D. Mathematicians, I greatly enjoy working with students struggling even with basic material. Now in my 9th year as a professional tutor, I have worked with hundreds of students and I’ve learned how to find a student’s level — whether having issues on how to prove a vector space, or issues on how to add fractions — and bring them along from there.

www.phgmath.com

R. Philip Grizzard, Ph.D.

Founder and Principal Tutor

Education

1998 B.S. Mathematics & Math Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2000 M.S. Mathematics, Illinois State University

Taught: College Algebra Math 119 and Finite Math 120.

2007 Ph.D. Mathematics, University of Illinois at Chicago

Taught: Calculus I & II, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra

Certification and Professional Organizations

State of Illinois 6-12 Education certified

Mathematical Association of America

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

American Mathematical Society, Life Member

Recent academic work experience

2011-present Tutor for Ph.G. Math Tutoring, Bloomington-Normal, IL.

2011-present Manager of Ph.G. Tutoring, Tucson, Arizona

2010-2011 Founder and tutor for Ph.G. Tutoring, Tucson, Arizona

2010 Instructor, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona

2007-2010 Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Arizona

Taught: Math in Modern Society, Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers, College Algebra, PreCalculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra

I really like doing the math problems, but what I enjoy most is getting to know the student. I love laughing a lot, having inside jokes -- it makes the whole thing fun, and makes the student comfortable and enjoying themselves rather than scared and miserable. Students learn so much better when they are comfortable -- and it's a lot more fun for me too! :)


Highlights

Hired 2 times
3 employees
14 years in business
Serves Normal , IL
Offers online services

Payment methods

Check, Venmo, Paypal, Zelle

Social media


Details

Grade level

Middle school, High school, College / graduate school, Adult learner

Type of math

General arithmetic, Pre-algebra, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-calculus, Calculus, Statistics

Photos and videos


  • Reviews

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    JR

    jill R.

    Thanks for all your help, Phil...it makes such a difference for my daughter. I love when she says she feels more confident — and that’s because of you!! You’ve helped her so much for so long. She’s always felt more confident after meeting with you each time. Thank you for sharing your skills and kindness with her. It’s made a difference.
    ... Show more
    February 27, 2024

    ZM

    zoe M.

    When I struggled with high school math I took his Algebra II and Trigonometry tutoring class. I had never enjoyed the subject and had some trepidation about having to get help in this subject, but after the first five minutes of meeting Mr. Grizzard my “fear” (so to speak) vanished.
    His one-on-one help was patient and concise. The way he explained the material was better than my teachers, he never made me feel dumb for not understanding. He helped me tremendously in improving my grades and passing the course.
    I recommended him to anyone who is not math-inclined.
    ... Show more
    February 26, 2024

    JR

    jill R.

    Thanks for all your help, Phil...it makes such a difference for my daughter. I love when she says she feels more confident — and that’s because of you!! You’ve helped her so much for so long. She’s always felt more confident after meeting with you each time. Thank you for sharing your skills and kindness with her. It’s made a difference.
    ... Show more
    February 25, 2024

    SJ

    s J.

    Phil worked with my high schooler this spring to help build his Algebra 1 skills. He was very thorough and flexible. My son was able to come a long way in the amount of time we had. He was able to fill in a lot of gaps he had and began building a foundation for future learning.
    ... Show more
    February 25, 2024

    MM

    mya M.

    Phil tutored me for my math 121 class which is applied calc. I had no experience with this course and wanted to get through it with a C which I need for my major. He explained formulas that I didnt learn or didnt comprehend/learn correctly in class, he also gave me many example problems and helped me work through them. I not only learned calc from Phil but was taught to apply the concepts. Overall I wouldnt have been able to achieve a B in this class without investing in Phils tutoring program. Thanks so much!! I feel smarter and happier with math.
    ... Show more
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    February 24, 2024

    AA

    asher A.

    Phil tutored me online in ISUs Math 113 over this summer. I have always struggled with math and Phil had so much patience with me. He made sure to not only explain steps to problems, but helped me to understand entire topics. I feel so much more confident in my math abilities, and I’m walking away with an A in a math class for the first time. Thanks for everything!
    ... Show more
    February 24, 2024

    Frequently asked questions

    I offer a free consultation, so we can meet for free before you decide if you want to work with me.  The consultation lasts only a few minutes, and depending on the timing, I might have time immediately after our consultation for our first appointment.

    I have a unique set of qualifications and skills.  I have a Ph.D. in Math and I am Secondary Education Certified in Illinois.  I'm also a campus minister, so I spend a lot of time with students both in working and in social settings.  I can discuss theoretical mathematics with university professors, and I can also giggle with 8th graders to make them feel comfortable doing math with me.  (And also because it's fun.)

    Rates vary by tutor and frequency of meeting.  All details are at www.phgmath.com.

    I student taught at the middle school and high school levels before going to graduate school in math.  During graduate school, I was a teaching assistant or sole instructor for more than 20 classes.  After my Ph.D., I served as a Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona before starting my professional tutoring career.  I have taught virtually every level of math in the classroom from elementary algebra through calculus through linear algebra.  But I found that I loved working one-on-one with students more than teaching in front of a class, so I left academia and started my tutoring business.  It has been my livelihood since 2010.

    I have worked with hundreds of students -- as young as 8 and as old as 60.  The vast majority of my students are in Junior High, High School, or College.  I've worked with students from struggling at the lowest levels to valedictorians to advanced college math majors.  

    I love it when my students feel comfortable enough not only to joke with me, but to be sassy in a fun way.  Yesterday I was working with a 9th grade girl.  After I pointed out a mistake she made, she pointed to a 2 that I had written sloppily and said, deadpan, "Is that a Z?"  She then bent over laughing.  It's one of those things where you have to be there for it to be funny, but it's so great to be there in that space with the student.

    I would suggest that you think about the cost of not getting the help that you need.  Certainly there is a financial cost -- having to retake standardized exams, retake classes, or even delaying getting a degree.  These costs are thousands and thousands of dollars.  And scholarships are often dependent upon standardized test scores and GPA.  Spending several hundred dollars for a superior tutor might sound like a lot of money until you consider its value.

    But there are other benefits to succeeding that can't be measured in dollars.  What if you actually enjoyed the material?  What if you gained confidence and felt like you could do it?  What if started seeing how you can use what you're learning in your life?  What if you learned something significant about yourself and your ability to overcome hardship and do difficult things?  You're much more likely to have these things happen with a tutor than in a classroom.

    Talking to teachers who are giving you lessons and grading you is very different than talking with a tutor.  With a tutor, you can (and should) be totally, thoroughly honest.  If you haven't understood anything in class for the past month, you're not going to want to admit that to your teacher, but your tutor needs to know it to help you the best.  Same if you missed class.

    A tutor is someone in your corner: there for no other reason but to help you with no authority over you.  This relationship allows you to be free of other considerations, like grades and peer pressure.


    Services offered

    Math
    Test Prep Tutoring