Innovare•novare•creare

Innovare•novare•creare

5.0Exceptional(6 reviews)
Offers online services
Offers online services

About

WHY YOU SHOULD READ MY PROFILE

I have been told that I am great at making the complicated and difficult easy to understand and comprehend. I am irreverent, sarcastic, and wacky. I like to 'torture' my students while making learning fun. However, I insist that my students work independently and exhaust all options before trying to use me as a crutch just because 'I can make it easy'.

I tutor the university and college math courses Calculus III, Calculus II, Calculus I, Brief Calculus, Business Calculus, Precalculus-Trigonometry, Precalculus-Algebra, and Precalculus. I tutor the high school math courses AP Calculus BC, AP Calculus AB, Honors Calculus, Calculus, Honors Precalculus, and Precalculus. In addition, I help students prepare for the math portions of the PSAT, SAT, ACT, CLEP, and GRE...

I tutor nationally online via Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Wyzant. I have worked online and in person with many Virginia students from the Richmond and Williamsburg areas, as well as students from the DC/MD/VA region. I have helped a number of North Carolina students online from the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and Charlotte areas. I tutor students in the Greensboro area online or in person.

MY METHODS FOR SUCCESS

I use plain language to explain concepts. I supplement my explanations with pictures, diagrams, graphs, charts, and tables to help the concepts come to life for students.

Students seem to really like my approach. They say that I'm patient, that I make learning fun, and that I make complex subjects easy to understand. Most important, they say that with my help they do very well in their classes and on standardized and placement tests.

I have significant experience teaching and tutoring students with learning differences. I have helped many frustrated students diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, anxiety, and/or depression succeed at levels they had never before achieved.

I have taught high school and middle school math in Virginia and North Carolina. The subjects included Introduction to Calculus, Precalculus, Trigonometry, Algebra 2, Geometry, Algebra 1, NC Math 3, NC Math 2, 8th Grade Math, 7th Grade Math, and 6th Grade Math.

Currently, I work with private clients and I work at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) in Jamestown, NC, as a professional tutor for the Center for Academic Engagement (CAE). With CAE I help GTCC students with math, physics, and engineering courses. I help a range of private clients with similar courses. My private clients and GTCC students all range from high schoolers to adult learners.

WHAT LED ME HERE

I absolutely love helping people understand math better. I have been tutoring math since my sophomore year at Virginia Tech--eons ago.

I have been a 'numbers person' all my life. I enjoyed math as a kid. I majored in electrical engineering in college. I enjoyed tutoring college math, engineering, and calculus during my days at Virginia Tech. After graduation, I worked as an engineer for a few years before returning to school. Some of my favorite moments were in helping high school students in math and adults prepping for the math portion of professional certification tests. In graduate school, I focused on innovation and product development in high tech industries, requiring a heavy dose of quantitative courses in business, engineering, and math. It was always a pleasure helping classmates figure out tough quantitative and analytical problems. Post MBA, I worked in product development in leading technology companies. While helping create industry-leading and award-winning products, I developed an interest in US student mathematics performance. I began tutoring math more frequently and eventually taught middle school math and high school math for a few years.

JOIN MY CADRE OF SUCCESSFUL SCHOLARS

Now, I concentrate my experience and energy on helping math students succeed. Indeed, my students succeed! I invite you to join them!


Highlights

Hired 39 times
1 employee
23 years in business
Serves Greensboro , NC
Offers online services

Payment methods

Cash, Check, Venmo, Paypal, Zelle

Social media


Details

Grade level

High school, College / graduate school

Type of math

Pre-calculus, Calculus

Photos and videos


  • Reviews

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    MP

    Melissa P.

    Derek was very knowledgeable and personable. He make sure my son understood the concepts, so he could move forward in the course with confidence. My son made an A in this class. He probably would have made a C without Derek. In addition Derek would work with us on short notice when necessary. My son’s teacher would often change homework due dates and quizzes and Derek always accommodated us. I can’t say enough good things about our experience with him.
    ... Show more
    October 10, 2022
    Hired on Tutors

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    Rolanda R.

    Mr. Williams helped my daughter with a Precal class shed struggled to pass. He was patient, kind & encouraging. He made sure she understood the basics and helped her with her confidence as well. With the help of Mr. Williams, she passed her four week summer Precal class which is very hard to accomplish.
    ... Show more
    June 24, 2022
    Hired on Tutors

    CU

    Christy U.

    Derek is amazing! He is friendly, kind patience and my daughter learned so much from him. I was a little leery of this process but God led me the right way. Pre Calc is done!✅
    ... Show more
    May 09, 2022
    Hired on Tutors

    AR

    Ana R.

    I cannot say enough great things about Derek. He’s amazing with my daughter, getting her where she needed to be in school. He is very knowledgeable and always available to communicate to answer any questions I had.
    Hire Derek! He’s the BEST!
    ... Show more
    January 07, 2022
    Hired on Tutors

    JW

    Joy W.

    Communicated AP Calc. well and worked well with my daughter. Easy to work with! Thank you!
    ... Show more
    October 26, 2021
    Hired on Tutors

    WP

    Wanda P.

    So glad we found Derek. He is wonderful and my daughter is loving being able to understand math!
    ... Show more
    September 04, 2021
    Hired on Tutors

    Frequently asked questions

    I chat with a new student to get a sense of how their studies are going... During the chat we talk about strengths, challenges, and goals... Then we dive right in because the best way to learn math is to do math...

    I have been involved with numbers and technology for most of my life... Therefore, tutoring math and physics comes naturally for me... My education, training, and experience enables me to speak in plain language rather than mathspeak and helps me provide real world examples to make the numbers come to life...

    I have a BSEE in Electrical Engineering... I have an MBA with an emphasis on Innovation and Technology Management... I've worked for innovative technology-based companies like Honeywell, AT&T, HP, Corning, and IBM as an engineer, market analyst, and product manager... I've tutored math and science students ranging from elementary schoolers to graduate students and adult learners... I've taught math in middle school and high school...

    I use all that education, training, and experience to offer narratives which make concepts relevant... It seems to be working...

    Currently, my rate is $60/hr...
    I began teaching after studying the issues American students had in math and science...
    I've worked with students ranging from those in elementary school to adult learners...
    In September 2022, I met with a high school freshman struggling mightily with algebra... Our online session was very brief because his household was experiencing Internet connectivity issues... Therefore, I focused on a few key concepts... I had the student explain to me what he thought was going on in a few questions... I listened to his explanations, had him write down his responses, and I paused to assess his understanding... I made a few suggestions and asked him to try the next few questions... He answered correctly all of the next few questions, saying, "That's it...???!!! I get it...!!! This is easy...!!!" The following week I checked in, saying to the mom, "Hello... How are things going with math...???" Her response, "Hi! Well, he got a 93 on his most recent math quiz he took after he met with you but now he's refusing to meet with any tutor. I'm waiting to see if his grades continue to improve. If not, I will be in touch!" I haven't heard back from mom, so I guess "Mr. I don't need no stinkin' math tutor...!!!" is doing fine... I tell my parents and students that my goal is to work myself out of a job... This is what I mean by that...
    Look for a teacher with whom you can build a connection... That makes the lessons enjoyable and more easily understood... Also, look for a teacher who will engage in dialogue with you to check your understanding... If you can have a conversation about the topics and concepts the understanding seems to flow naturally...
    Students should take time to ponder exactly what they wish to accomplish before talking to a teacher... They should be able to explain their sticking points so that the teacher can address them effectively and efficiently...

    Services offered

    Math