J Burks, PhD Science Tutoring
About
I have tutored undergraduate and graduate university students privately as a graduate student or professor for over ten years. I taught organic chemistry, biostatistics and virology at a university for two years, was an R&D chemist in industry for over 3 years and now work in Technology. I have experience tutoring chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, virology, immunology, biostatistics, statistics, genetics and cell and molecular biology. I can also help with computer programming depending on the language, and some mathematics.
I enjoy helping students move through their test anxiety and frustration of not understanding a subject to arrive at their Eureka! moment, where the student understands a concept. I love seeing their excitement when they finally understand and gain confidence with the material!
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I take a tailored, individual approach to each student based on their strengths, interests and what works best for them. Depending on the class and the needs of the student, my minimum goal is to have the student reach an understanding of the material, and to retain the information presented. I do like to get them to a point that they can appreciate or even like the subject. I use a variety of techniques for success that I and my former students have had success with in the past.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
PhD Biochemistry
MS Biotechnology
BS Microbiology
I am a computational biochemist (or a bioinformatician) by training, have published articles in that field, have chemistry-related patents in oil and gas, and have a data science background and training.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
In the past, I have set pricing as individual, double or 3 or more students in a group.
Individual: $40/hr
Double: $30/person/hr
Group: $20/person/hr
How did you get started teaching?
i got started tutoring as a graduate student in 2007 in order to gain teaching experience, and also guest lectures in my professors’ courses when I could. I then taught for two years as an assistant professor and taught biostatistics, virology, organic chemistry and introductory biology labs.
What types of students have you worked with?
Mainly undergraduate or graduate students at universities, but also some high school students. University students have been STEM majors and non-STEM majors alike, and I have also tutored students for the MCAT.
I’ve worked with students with disabilities, and students who are not traditionally nor represented in STEM majors.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I was recently helping someone refresh their statistics understanding to further their career, and enjoyed talking to them to find out what they remembered or used in a daily basis, but also identifying areas that needed improvement. We then made a game plan of what topic to tackle when. They are continuing to study data science and I enjoyed refreshing their knowledge and setting them up with a good foundation on which to build their career.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
My advice depends on your goals, but the most important advice is to find a teacher that you click with. If you don’t have that connection it’s easy to become distracted during your session.
Identify your goals (I want to learn more, I want to increase my letter grade, etc.). Discuss those with your teacher and ask for feedback on the plan. They will also be able to help advise you on how to succeed in your school plan.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
How much time do you have to dedicate to this?
What is your budget?
Does this work for your schedule?
Am I not understanding the material or have I missed class and need to fill in the gaps?