
About
I am a former teacher that left the profession for relocation issues. I currently work with scientists and engineers outside of education, but I miss working with students. There is nothing more rewarding than helping a student break through barriers and succeed. 100% of my former students graduated high school and went to college. All of those in my AP-level course completed at least some graduate-level work as well.
Highlights
Reviews
Marcella R.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
The first step in working with a new student involves identifying the real knowledge gap. In chemistry, this is often either a visualization (3-dimensional mental picture of molecular structure) or a fundamental math struggle. I would start by taking a look at the current subject matter assigned to the student and see how they perform on a few problems. I would then ask them a series of questions to identify how they came to their conclusions, noting places where flawed interpretations of subject matter are present. These flawed interpretations can be present even when a student produces the correct answer, a result that sometimes stems from memorization of methods in the past. Identifying these flaws is important because our mistakes are valuable - they provide important insight into how we approach any problem, let alone a chemistry problem. I would then develop a method, based on the student's strength in learning (auditory, written, artistic, etc.) to lead the student to a correct interpretation of chemical behavior. This involves the student developing their own definitions in their own words of physical concepts of matter and the behavior of chemical species. I would also work with them on developing both note-taking and study habits that benefit their strongest learning styles. Every student has a strength that can be tapped to benefit them, not just in chemistry, but in all subjects.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri - Columbia, a PhD. in Chemistry from Texas A&M University. I also completed two separate postdoctoral research appointments in chemistry at UC Berkeley and UT Dallas. I formerlly taught chemistry at Ursuline Academy of Dallas for both sophomores and senior high school students where I was named a Dow-endowed new science teacher fellow. 100% of my students graduated and went to college. I've taught high school students, undergraduate, and graduate students in chemistry and related fields.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Note: For high school students only - If your child is housed in section 8 housing or qualifies for hot lunch/other financial assistance services, I offer reduced prices.
I typically charge $50 and hour, but special topics, such as scientific writing, may cost extra because it will require evaluation outside of tutoring hours.