Golam Kashef
About
A large part of what makes math unapproachable is the lack of access to the basic principles and the "picture" that hides behind the tangle of symbols. The symbols are just shorthands for something deeper, and unfortunately, even at a college level, students may focus too much on the symbols and the rules, and very little on what's really at play and how much more math is than just a bunch of puzzles. A concept *should* be boring and it *should* only makes partial sense until it clicks. But once it does, each area of mathematics is an exciting, eye-opening experience- it adds a higher definition to one's view of how our world works. In fact, when applied rigorously, mathematical reasoning is one of the only things in the world that makes complete sense. My hope is to help students on that journey, and at the very least change their minds about the idea the math has nothing to do with the real world.
Those of us who have taken a challenging mathematical journey, and really had to dig deep to appreciate the ideas behind the symbols aren't often the ones passing the knowledge down. That's where tutors like me come in. Even today, I learn to appreciate mathematical concepts in ways I've not been taught in classrooms, and I wish that a younger me made those realizations. More importantly, I want to show people in the same position as the younger me, so that they can develop their intuitions better than I did.
I am currently pursuing a double doctorate in physics and quantitative neuroscience at Indiana University. I have B.A. and a professional MSc from Northwestern University, both in physics. I am can tutor physics, mathematics and statistics at high school and college levels, but I'm particularly interested in tutoring A.P. level calculus. I'm eager to take on students who are struggling, but really interested in learning. In the past, I have tutored a student in the honors freshman level classical mechanics at IU, to a great degree of success. I've also been a T.A. for a calculus based neuroscience lab course and the introductory neuroscience course at IU.
You can check out my linkedin profile at this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/golam-kashef-a5938b1a0
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I try to get an understanding of the particular areas the student is struggling with, *and* how they approach topics they do not struggle with. Sometimes, weaker fundamentals or an incomplete understanding of basic areas can make moving on to advanced topics really hard, even impossible.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Bachelors and a professional MSc in Physics from Northwestern University, and I'm a doctoral candidate for both Physics and Neuroscience at Indiana University. Since 2016, I have, over many semesters, been a T.A. in either a calculus based neuroscience lab course, or a in the introductory neuroscience course at IU. I have also provately tutored a student in a freshman year honors physics course, to a great degree of success.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I charge $50 an hour.
How did you get started teaching?
I put up my name in the IU Physics Departments tutoring list, and eventually had a student sign up. Of course, teaching discussion sections as a T.A. was also a helpful background experience.
What types of students have you worked with?
So far only college students in physics and neuroscience courses. Particularly for students in the quantitative neuroscience lab course, I come across a lot of students without strong mathematics backgrounds, but I've had some success with teaching the basics of numerical integration.
Here's a video I made as teaching material for that course during the pandemic: https://vimeo.com/583787592
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What are my strong and weak points in the topic I'm struggling with? We'll see where things go from there.