About
Bringing students to an 'aha!' moment is the ultimate goal of every tutor. I pride myself on the ability to break any topic down to small, digestable quantities that makes assimilating the new take place. It is not enough to just state the material back to a student, careful listening and early assessment of their needs are critical. Providing what is needed rather than what might be expected is always at the front of my mind.
It is a treat to pass on knowledge...expecially so whan the recipient is a willing recipient. My own passion is experimental physics which encompasses, well, everything! I always felt the accomplishment of puzzling out new concepts and problem solving, though my greatest joy is from tinkering and making new things work. Favorite fun book: Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly and 27 other Saturday Science Projects, Neil Downie, Princeton University Press (2001).
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Successful tutoring requires effort on both the student's part and from the instructor. First is to have the prospective student describe their class: level, instructional material type (textbook or handouts, etc.), type of instruction. Next, is for them to state what they believe their current understanding is and what issues they have with the material. This is so the tutoring experience can get off to a quick start and so that the student and instructor do not have to spend a large part of the initial session covering these items.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
As part of advanced degree training, I was an instructor for laboratory sessions. This entailed 3 hour blocks of circulating among the students to help them with any issues and give them topics to think on as they did their work. Concurrently, I tutored both undergraduate and high school level students.
I have also spent 3 semesters instructing a physics laboratory course at St. Edwards University.
In my own laboratory, I have trained both graduate and undergraduate degreed individuals in science, process and experimental physics materials.
As an experienced mathematics grader (during undergraduate years and currently), I have seen many of the issues students face learning new material. This gives me insite in how to explain complex or confusing issues.
My education consists of an undergrate physics degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and MA and PHd from Rice University, both in experimental physics.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Pricing: $40 per hour is standard.
How did you get started teaching?
As part of advanced degree training, I was an instructor for laboratory sessions. This entailed 3 hour blocks of circulating among the students to help them with any issues and give them topics to think on as they did their work. Concurrently, I tutored both undergraduate and high school level students.
What types of students have you worked with?
Undergraduate, graduate and high school.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
During the last (near) solar eclipes, I built several imaging setups and distributed them to friends and family. I set one up outside my laboratory and got a real kick explaining to the occasional person passing by (employees of nearby businesses) how it worked and that they could see the progression of the image in real time.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
1. Be sure they are qualified, though a degree in an area does not necessarily mean quality of instruction, alas.
2. Are they experienced in teaching in any environment outside of a structured classroom lecture setting?
3. Are they willing to listen to you?
4. Will they explore the root of the issues you have in your class?
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
1. What is giving me problems?
2. Does the instructional material given/provided by the class go into enough detail or too much?
3. Do I get homework? Is it easy? Do I have a study buddy?
4. What do I want the tutor to help me with? Homework? Concepts? Finding better materials?