About
Hello! I'm Matthew, an experienced tutor specializing in SAT prep. I graduated from Rice University in 2018 with a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering and received a 2400 superscore on my SAT in 2013. I offer tutoring for SAT/PSAT Test Prep in the Math, Reading, and Writing portions, as well as for all students K-12 and any level of ability; I am highly experienced with helping students with their school coursework from my previous employment. The solutions and test-taking techniques required for the SAT extend to any subject or test material, as such I would be happy to help prepare for any general test prep as well, such as for the ASVAB.
Throughout 6 summers of personalized tutoring at an after school learning service and working as a private tutor, I've developed a proficiency for explaining and delineating concepts that a student might struggle with in a straightforward manner. As a private tutor, I would often work with high school students in their homes or nearby libraries each week to shore up their weaknesses or get them ahead of school, using a mix of workbooks and my custom curriculum for the subject. When approaching a subject, I focus on mastery of the foundations.
I've worked with dozens of students from Pre-school to High School and never met a learner who was not able to grasp and excel in the subject. It's not just a platitude that confidence is the key to success, many students give up on a subject as grueling or better suited for "smart kids" before they even try. My favorite part of the job is showing them that they can do it and having them realize "this isn't that hard!" after the fact!
The most effective and efficient method to learn a subject is to work through practice problems and coursework yourself. To facilitate this in a guided, structured manner allows the student to foster independence and mastery of the material. An hour of pure lecturing is never as effective as a half-hour of experience.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
When approaching a subject, I focus on mastery of the foundations. For example, for students having difficulty with fractions, I offer a solid foundation of the subject based on the understanding that fractions are very closely related to division. After the student establishes familiarity we work on refreshing their mechanical skills and related fundamentals through practice work. Once we've established the foundations and polished their skills, the student can quickly develop understanding of the material that is rooted in the context of what they learned before. If the student discovers the why and how themselves, the material will come more naturally and quickly to them than it can while memorizing formulas that seem arbitrary. I also emphasize important notation or exceptions that may become confusing (for example, in physics, or grammar rules) and develop tables and cheat sheets of the most troubling rules, symbols and exceptions so that students can protect themselves from being caught off-guard needlessly. In short, the student can most effectively learn the main ideas themselves once they've been taught enough to develop experience, and the exceptions and details can be ironed out through the guidance of an instructor.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
4 years of working at an after school tutoring service and working as a private tutor.
Received Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from Rice University and a 2400 superscore on my SAT in 2013. I offer tutoring for SAT/PSAT Test Prep in the Math, Reading, and Writing portions, as well as for all students K-12 and any level of ability, and for general coursework.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Online Lessons at $65/hour
Local Lessons at $75/hour
The disparity is a result of travel time and costs.
How did you get started teaching?
Throughout 6 summers of personalized tutoring at an after school learning service and working as a private tutor, I've developed a proficiency for explaining and delineating concepts that a student might struggle with in a straightforward manner. As a private tutor, I would often work with high school students in their homes or nearby libraries each week to shore up their weaknesses or get them ahead of school.
What types of students have you worked with?
I offer tutoring for SAT/PSAT Test Prep in the Math, Reading, and Writing portions, as well as for all students K-12 and any level of ability; I am highly experienced with helping students with their school coursework from my previous employment.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Work-related has definitely been being able to connect with new students online. In many cases I've been able to meet types of students I haven't met before, such as those in homeschool and I think it's refreshing to be able to teach someone who is coming from that new perspective.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Of course a tutor's education, experience, and personal performance in at least one major general test area is important (SAT, ACT, GED, GRE etc.), but it's also important to know what kind of teaching style the teacher themself espouses and think about what best suits your needs!
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
1. What method of teaching am I most comfortable with? Would I rather prefer a lecturing style of learning as I take notes, or something more hands on or a mixture?
2. How fast do I need these results? How early should I start? Oftentimes a tutor can work on a timescale to help with few quick tips and tricks if the test is the next day/week, but if possible spreading out your time to master and practice the material can be far more effective for your time!