McAlister Math Tutoring
About
Hello! I am a recent graduate from the Davidson Academy of Nevada who is looking for people to tutor this summer. I am attending the California Institute of Technology as an Applied and Computational Mathematics major in the fall.
I have taken several math classes at UNR (maintaining a 4.0 GPA), including Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Theory of Positive Integers, Graph Theory and Combinatorics, STAT 461, and a few computer science courses. I also have over 100 hours of paid and volunteer tutoring hours, with strong experience in both enriching and catching up in areas such as algebra, competition math, and calculus.
Furthermore, for the past two years, I have been a captain with the Northern Nevada Math Club, which is an organization that specializes in teaching competition math. I have volunteered at numerous camps and taught competition math strategies in various group settings.
Finally, specifically referring to competition math, I am a 2-time top 20 finisher at Washington State MATHCOUNTS and a 4-time AIME qualifier.
ACT: 36, SAT: 1560 (790 Math), AP Calculus BC: 5 (AB subscore: 5), AP Statistics: 5.
I really enjoy seeing the light-bulb go off in people's heads when they finally figure out a concept that they've been struggling with for a while. There have been so many moments during my teaching that people have just suddenly said, "Oh, I get it!" and then explained to me, the tutor, how the concepts worked.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
When working with a new student, typically I ask them a question about what they're specifically struggling with, then I ask them to attempt to solve a problem in said subject area. This can be a problem I create myself or a problem out of a textbook. If I notice the student is struggling, then I chime in and ask more questions about what they think they should do. By doing so, I help the student realize that they can do the problem by themselves and they really don't need quite as much help as they think they do.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I've received A's in several courses at the University of Nevada, Reno, and I have prior tutoring experience, both volunteer and paid.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Online: $15/hr
Traveling to me: $15/hr
In-home tutoring: $20/hr
How did you get started teaching?
I started tutoring after one of my graduating classmates reached out to me with a student who was being tutored in algebra 1.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have mostly worked with students around 6th grade on competition math, but I have tutored kids as old as high school sophomores and as young as 2nd graders.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I went down to Las Vegas at the beginning of June for a math competition (Specifically ARML), and even though I didn't do as well as I had hoped, it was still fascinating seeing the problems put in front of me and some of the neat tricks that I could use to get through a problem that looks a lot harder than it is if I can figure out the right tool.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Make sure your tutor isn't teaching you just how to get to the answer for certain specific problems. They should be teaching you how to critically think about a problem and use the tools you have in your arsenal to further your flexibility when it comes to facing complicated problems.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Make sure you're okay with being wrong and making mistakes. I'm here to help you, and if you try as hard as possible to conceal your mistakes, then it's counterproductive.