Seattle Math Man
About
For more than a decade, I have been helping Seattle Area High School students achieve their full potential. Any student, no matter how “skilled” or “unskilled” they may feel has within them the capacity to have more confidence, enjoyment and true understanding of mathematics. What students need to achieve their goals is a teacher with the insight, math & communication skills to make math meet mind.
I AM THAT TEACHER.
My goal is to transform a student’s potential into abilities. During our sessions together, I will figure out what the barriers are that have kept you from achieving your goals. I will be the helping hand that gives you the skills you need to take you where you want to go, wherever that may be.
Visit me at:
www.SeattleMathMan.com
Highlights
No reviews (yet)
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Most of my students are in High School, and are looking to either improve their grades & understanding in their current mathematics course, or increase their scores on a standardized test.
The first time I meet with a new student, we spend time talking about their own personal 'Mathematics Autobiography'. I like to hear from a student about what sorts of teaching methods have and haven't worked for them in the past. I also invite students to let me know what their own personal assessment of their strengths and weaknesses with mathematics. If students have areas of anxiety around specifics performaces (such as written tests, or speaking in class), or around distinct disciplines under the umbrella term of mathematics (algebraic manipulation, identifying problem-solving strategies, decoding new notation) we discuss these as well.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I hold a Bachelor Science with a Major in Mathematics from Oberlin College, and also a Master's Degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of Washington.
I have experience teaching Middle School, High School, and University Mathematics. I'm comfortable and experienced working with a full range of students. I am the only Math teacher in the state who has taught both at Seattle's most wealthy High School (my first teaching post was at Bill Gates' alma mater, Lakeside) and at Seattle's poorest (I chose to spend a number of years teaching at the chronically underfunded Rainier Beach High School, in Seattle's south end).
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Current pricing details can be found at my website:
www.SeattleMathMan.com
How did you get started teaching?
I have always loved Mathematics, and I found that I had a gift for teaching many years ago when I was a student in the University of Washington graduate program for Pure Mathematics. I now split my time between 1-on-1 tutoring and the classroom. (During the Summertime, I teach on the University of Washington campus with the Robinson Program). I enjoy the quick progress that I can help students make when working 1-on-1 with them.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with a great range of students.
I've sent kids off to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. But I've also sent students off to far less competitive schools. Some of my students are Math Superstars who are looking to soar even higher, and some students come to me feeling as though they are completely lost in their school math class. If a student is ready to grow, I can work with students of any ability level. My speciality is High School aged-students, but I've also worked with kids in Middle School, and college kids hoping to do well on their GRE's.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Be sure to insist on finding someone who is a good communicator, with a very solid foundation in mathematics (both at the level you are currently at, but also, with the mathematics that's 3 or 4 years into your future). And don't settle for a tutor that you don't *enjoy* hanging out with. An hour-a-week is a real committment of time for a busy student; if you're with a tutor that you don't look forward to seeing, it's not a good match.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
The two things a student should process and be able to articulate on their own before seeking out a teacher are 1) What their goals are, and 2) What they feel like are the obstacles currently standing between them and their goals. I'm in a better position to support the students I work with when I can hear from them in some detail what it is that they are hoping to achieve.