Goffin STEM Tutoring
About
I am a long time tutor and teaching assistant at the high school and college levels. I have had experience tutoring for the SATs, as well as being a teaching assistant for college level electrical engineering coursework such as Introductory Programming, Digital Logic, and Electromagnetism. In addition, I have personal experience in the workforce and, as such, understand the skills required for success both in academia and employment.
Not to mention that, as a TA, my students have generally given good reviews of my work. Last semester (the first semester I could receive online reviews), I received a mean 3.67/4.00 score. One anecdote from reviews stated:
"Andrew is an excellent TA. He is very knowledgeable about all of the course material, and is always willing to take questions and explain confusing material in a comprehensible way. He is able to conceptually explain a lot of the math that we do, and that has helped a lot."
Highlights
No reviews (yet)
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I prefer to let the student guide the tutoring session, so I will typically ask ahead of time what topics they wish to cover. I will prepare material (typically problems) relevant to the suggested topics, and then when we meet for the first time I usually go over this material and ask for feedback. Especially at the early stages, I find this feedback very important in tailoring tutoring sessions to the student in question.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I currently have a B.S in Electrical Engineering and am working on a PhD in Electrical Engineering. My specialization in particular is in electrophysics.
I have also gone through teaching assistant training through the University of Maryland which has helped guide my pedagogical techniques.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Typically $40/hour, although if long travel is required this may be increased. This can also be done either in person or via video chat.
How did you get started teaching?
I began by tutoring for SATs in my senior year of high school, but in college changed to mostly TAing for courses in the electrical engineering department, which I have done fairly steadily for ~3 years.
What types of students have you worked with?
Usually college students, but these have ranged from freshman to honors-level juniors.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I had a student come up to me after finals and compliment my work as a TA. It's always good to see that what I'm doing helps my students!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Hire someone who lets you do work. If the teacher is doing all of the work, you're likely not learning anything.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Try to be as specific as possible. If you say "I need to do well in this course", that is fine, but it still leaves a lot of room for interpretation on the teacher's side which could be ineffective. If instead you say "I need to do well in this course, and I typically learn best by doing problems then going over specific issues", that helps the teacher structure your session.