Patience-Based Learning

I like to get to know the student's main goal first. Whether that's to learn the material, pass the class, just complete one assignment, or generally improve their study habits. Then we can work together to craft a plan and they can tell me about the kind of information they are working with. Along the way, I like to get to know the student more as a person as they become more comfortable with me.

I can help with most topics aside from math as it is not my personal strong suit. I attended a rigorous high school and went on to study at an accredited liberal arts college with psychology as my major. I spent six months in Finland, learning about and immersing myself in their education system and methods of instruction. I also worked as a copy editor for a year, gaining experience in proofreading, editing, and following all the complicated rules of the English language. As a bonus, I have years of experience helping my little sister with her homework, learning how to be patient and creative in how I approach the material she is struggling to understand. All these skills prove helpful in my tutoring.

I am willing to work with the individual or family based on income and budget. Generally, I charge between $30-$60 per hour, depending on the complexity of the material (eg, fifth grade versus college-level).

I have always loved seeing that lightbulb moment when something finally makes sense. I also love finding new ways to break down or talk about information that seems overwhelming or confusing. These passions led me to tutoring specifically, because it is hard to really connect with a full classroom. I like tailoring my methods to the individual student and their specific needs, and that's something I can only feasibly do in a one-on-one setting.

I have worked with all kinds of students during my time as a tutor. I have helped students from ages 5 to 20, all coming from all different kinds of socio-economic, racial, and familial backgrounds. I have experience with students who have ADHD, anxiety, depression, dyslexia, and anger management challenges. I want to reaffirm this to every single person struggling in school: not one of my students has ever been "dumb" or "stupid," their brains have just functioned ways that did not resonate with the structure of their academic environment.

Recently, I was helping a student who was struggling with simple tasks such as writing emails. She was an overachiever and perfectionist with anxiety. What stood in her way was needing everything to be the very best it could possibly be. This lead her to stop herself before she had even begun. I was helping her write an email to a teacher and I sat with her as she drafted 10 different versions of the email. I gave her space to think through all the different ways she could say what she meant. Then I gave her an example of the bare minimum and told her that even that would be enough because the point would be made and the email would be sent. She took that very basic structure and used it to write an email that touched briefly on some of the things she wanted to say. When she finished, she was very hesitant that it wasn't "good enough," but I was able to reassure her that it absolutely was because it communicated the necessary information, so she sent the email. Things like this can seem so small and simple, but she was really struggling. All she needed was someone to be there with her and to tell her that her attempts were, in fact, good enough.

This was a very proud moment for me because we often think that tutoring is only needed for big complicated things, but it's ok to need help with the small stuff too. Once the email was checked off her list, she was able to relax a little more and we could move on to her other tasks and assignments. Sometimes, failure to address the small stressors results in an inability to work on the more significant stressors. I was happy that we were able to tackle this small thing that had turned into a huge road block for her.

Find a teacher who makes you feel listened to, validated, and supported. You can trust yourself more than you think. If you feel uneasy working with a teacher, or their methods haven't been helpful after a few sessions, it is okay to switch. That goes for me, too. If you feel uncomfortable during you meetings with me, or if you feel like I am not understanding you or why you are having trouble, you should search for a different teacher. Expect to be challenged, expect to struggle, expect to feel frustrated - that is all part of learning. But if your gut tells you this is not working or not helping, trust it.

The most important question to consider is: Are you open to being helped?

If you are resistant to advice, assistance, suggestions, and recommendations, you will not have fruitful tutoring sessions. You must be open to being helped. I can only help you if you actually want it. If you do, also consider:

What is your goal? What, specifically, do you want help with? What do you want to accomplish or improve?

What kind of help do you want? Are you looking for someone to break down the material for you, give you advice about how to study, or guide you as you try to figure it out yourself? If you know what you are hoping to gain, you will be more likely to receive it.

What are your time restraints? In order to make the most of your sessions you need to communicate how long you have to learn the material or finish the assignment or study for the test. The goal is not to make you feel rushed, but for me to understand how in-depth my explanations should be and how to structure our session in order to efficiently and effectively use our time together.