Jonathan

I am a certified educator and have tutored students from grades K-12. I have a Bachelor's degree in business administration from California State University and a Master's degree in education of curriculum and instruction of secondary mathematics from the University of Nevada.

My tutoring style:

My tutoring style aims at knowing and understanding the learner - realizing preferences, strengths, and weaknesses - and building upon prior knowledge or experiences. My efforts go toward finding ways and techniques that engage the learner in understanding new concepts. I emphasize the fundamentals of solving problems because, to me, math can be a humbling subject which requires solid foundational skills in order to progress.

I also encourage a mindset that can withstand and learn through failure at times. Confidence in learning is built, not given. Skills are obtained in any endeavor through practice, dedication, patience, and the willingness to learn.

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Success story:

AP is a student I had the pleasure of working closely with. AP had big dreams of securing an overall scholarship, maintaining a stellar 4.0 GPA, and nailing an ACT composite score of 25 or higher for a local scholarship opportunity. I had the privilege of serving as AP's day teacher for his core math classes and as his private tutor for ACT test prep, specifically focusing on the mathematics section. We dove into our study sessions aiming to crack the test questions and arm AP with killer test-taking strategies that would catapult his score to new heights. Through targeted practice and in-depth concept reviews, we turned AP's weaknesses into strengths, honed his problem-solving abilities, and built his confidence one step at a time. The study sessions were simple and fundamental. We would look into test practice questions and touch base with any concepts he didn’t fully understand. If that meant going back and reviewing previous topics and working through a few sample questions until the student felt confident enough to move on, that was the task at hand. AP's dedication and hard work paid off! His initial composite score of 19 on the practice test transformed into a consistent composite score of 27 after taking the exam. It was amazing to witness his progress and see his confidence soar. AP's performance not only earned him a scholarship, but he also maintained his 4.0 GPA throughout the journey and was eventually named valedictorian at graduation. It took commitment, patience, persistence, collaborative efforts, and the power of personalized guidance and tailored strategies to achieve these outcomes.

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I am proud to say that Megan possessed a natural ability that warranted a minimum ACT score of 25. However, through our sessions, she achieved scores well beyond the competitive threshold of 30 and above. Her parents were delighted to share that Megan became calm and confident before any test, a testament to the impact our collaboration had on her overall test-taking experience. Through our focused collaboration and Megan's unwavering dedication, she not only surpassed her initial goals but also discovered a newfound belief in her abilities. The transformation in Megan's confidence and test-taking skills not only impacted her ACT score but also resonated throughout her academic journey, empowering her to excel in other areas of study. Megan's success story exemplifies the transformative power of personalized tutoring and the remarkable growth that can be achieved when combining natural abilities with targeted guidance. As Megan moves forward, armed with newfound confidence and refined strategies, I do not doubt that she will continue to achieve great things and leave a lasting impact on her academic pursuits.

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Hobbies and interests:

Tropical fish keeping/breeding and aquascaping; Gym/fitness; Cooking; Collectibles (Sports as well as Anime/Marvel materials); Sports (football, basketball, boxing, MMA, baseball, hockey, soccer)

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