Justin S.
Private tutor in Upland, CA
Education
B.A. in Mathematics from Pomona College, Claremont, CA, 2003; Single Subject Teaching Credential (Mathematics) from National University, San Bernardino, CA, 2010
Experience
I am a Pomona College graduate and a patient, non-judgmental, experienced tutor. I focus on comprehension, skill mastery, and attention to detail. I am a credentialed teacher, but I have left classroom teaching. The grading, class preparation, and classroom management left me with little time and energy for what I really love: helping struggling students learn, understand, and improve in a one-on-one or small group setting. I am credentialed to teach mathematics courses from basic (K-7) math through calculus, and as a math major, I am comfortable with any of those subjects. However, I most love working with students (of any age) who lack fundamentals and struggle with pre-algebra and CAHSEE math, algebra, or math survey courses. While I am not credentialed in English, I had a very solid grammar education and a perfect score on my SAT verbal section (back in 1998). My college professors in the humanities and my credentialing instructors often praised my writing. My wife, a PhD in English, often has me edit or proofread her work. I have done some online tutoring, and am willing to do more. However, online tutoring requires a solid connection, extra time, and a great deal of patience on both sides. Experience: * Two years of traditional classroom teaching experience (Algebra 1, grades 8-12) * Two years of small classroom teaching experience with Options for Youth, focusing on at-risk and struggling students (primarily Algebra 1 and CAHSEE Math, ages 14-21) * Two terms as a camp counselor for gifted students at Duke University's Talent Identification Program (ASU) * Six and a half years experience tutoring struggling students as young as 12 and as old as 65. My own high school success: * 1550 SAT score (taken when 1600 was the maximum) * 4's and 5's on seven different AP tests (1999)
Availability
Weekdays after 12 Noon, Sunday after 12 Noon
Can Meet
Up to 15 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
I am a voracious reader of science fiction, fantasy, and weird fiction. (My movie and TV tastes are similar, but with an action/comedy bent.) I have a fairly large fantasy collection, and I am willing to loan books to students I trust. I am an avid player of board games, card games, role-playing games, and video games, and I dabble in game design. I strongly believe that games can show young people that there are ways to have fun that don't involve drugs, alcohol, or sex. Most board and card games also have an innate educational value built into their mechanics. I would be happy to introduce your child to games that will develop their vocabulary, number sense, attention to detail, and decision-making skills without them realizing it. While I love all kinds of video games, my tastes these days tend to lean towards "party" games (like Rock Band or Wii Sports) and indie games with strong narrative or artistic merit (like Braid, Fez, and Mark of the Ninja). I don't play online games because I fear they would take up too much of my time. I spent a few years after college working in the video game industry before making the transition to education, and I still volunteer each year at the Game Developers Conference up in San Francisco. I am happy to explain to your child just how very important math and writing skills are to jobs in that sector. I love eating (and occasionally cooking) really good food, I listen to an eclectic variety of music, and I sometimes try my hand at nature photography.
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