About
I do extra work, outside of our tutoring sessions, to help prepare my students; for each student, I may create worksheets, videos or motivational messages to help progression. I take time to diagnose baseline issues and then along the way, I design Action Plans to help the student excel; I give regular feedback on progress. I have a strong science, mathematics and English background; BS Biology with focus in English; Registered Pharmacist; 5 years cancer research experience with 2 years graduate courses in Immunology.
I enjoy seeing the student improve performance in school; with that, the student develops confidence and an enhanced view of what is possible! I enjoy motivating students to rise up, persist and push through difficulties; I also enjoy diagnosing areas for improvement and then thinking through small ways to bring BIG changes for each student.
Highlights
Photos and videos
Reviews
Stacey D.
Maribel D.
Blanca F.
Blanca F.
April R.
Courtney B.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
They can call me or email me and we set up a time to talk through the needs and goals of the student; we both set up a strategy on exceeding the goal!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
BS in Biology, intensive concentration in English; Appalachian State University
Registered Pharmacist (BS degree); The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduate coursework in Microbiology/Immunology; Duke University
5 years of laboratory research experience in cancer research; Duke University
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I charge $25/session; the session length can run from 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
How did you get started teaching?
I have a natural gift of explaining hard stuff in a way that you can get it and back in college, I helped some classmates with Medicinal Chemistry and the rest is now history!
What types of students have you worked with?
Ages ranged from 5-56 years old; people who want to better their lives to obtain entry into professional programs; students needing encouragement to keep going and get through a key area in their studies. I also teach surfing, and have taught 31 people to surf.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
A recent student (Organic Chemistry) came to much better understand Carbon and its key role in life through our specialized work together; this increased her understanding and performance in the class!
A current student (English) gained official admission into a program designed to help him reach his goal of teaching English overseas, through our work together!
A recent student (College Algebra) gained an understanding of quadratic equations and factoring through our work together!
A recent student (Algebra 1) gained study skills and a much deeper understanding of polynomials through our work together and showed a rise in his confidence and performance!
Another current student (Algebra 1) has gained a lot of confidence through our intensive work on the fundamentals of algebraic math; she is now functioning at a high B average, up from a high D average when we first started working together!
A current student (Elementary Math) has gained confidence and a newfound senses of enjoyment about math. She is now showing B level grades, up from D level from when we first started our work together!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Search for someone who can actually talk with you and relate to you; you also need encouragement and motivation so your best tutor (the best for YOU) can teach you subject matter and also encourage and motivate you.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
One key point here is: the student has to have the mindset to work/study when not in class or tutoring with me! Hard work ALWAYS pays off. So, the student needs to self-reflect and ask themselves: Am I really prepared to work hard to learn and improve?