About
I am a learning-by-doing and a learning-with-you tutor. You'll find lots of subject matter experts out there, but if subject-matter expertise is what you (or your child) needed, they wouldn't need tutoring help. For over 20 years, I have developed my skills in learning complex information and distilling that information in order to communicate it effectively orally and in writing to non-experts. As a tutor, I use these same skills to help students comprehend the material within their own framework of interests and abilities. By relating the materials to the student as we work on their assignments, I help them comprehend the material, reduce any anxieties about the material, and catch-up and stop falling behind in their class.
I love the puzzle of helping people comprehend something new because it reminds me of how much I enjoy learning and the process of explaining things intelligently.
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Patricia W.
Thomas B.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I believe it is important to work with students and have them explain how they are thinking about particular kinds of problems. In most of my subjects, I believe students need the opportunity to practice in a guided way, so they can both struggle with the problem (as they will on an exam or in real life), but be confident that there is help if they get off track.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
One of my undergraduate degrees is in economics (with mathematical emphasis), so my coursework required extensive understanding and use of mathematical techniques including algebra, pre-calculus, trigonometry, and calculus.
My Law Degree included extensive training in research, writing, and oral presentations.
As an attorney, I specialized in financial issues including business practices, accounting, and damage estimation, which has kept my writing, computer, and mathematical skills current.
I have been tutoring students in all my subjects for over a decade since relocating back to Madison, WI.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I charge by the hour or, with a prior agreement, by the project. High School and undergraduate subjects are $50 an hour; graduate and professional subjects are $60 an hour. Paper editing is at the same rates, but I fix the time by pages, so the first page is 1 hour, the next 2 pages are 1 hour, the next 3 pages are 1 hour, and then every 4 pages is another hour.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Do you really need subject-matter expertise? Most of the time, a student's problem is not that they do not have access to an "expert" in the subject. After all they have a teacher or professor who has a degree related to the subject matter. Instead, the problem is usually that the instructor lacks time or energy to explain or clarify the subject for the student given the student's own difficulties with the subject. Thus, what you need in a tutor is someone with the time, energy, and expertise to provide explanations that address the student's difficulties with the subject.