Richard

I am a certified high school mathematics teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience and have been tutoring students in mathematics since 2010. I especially enjoy working with students who want to not only be shown how to solve problems but also understand why, so that they can develop their reasoning ability and become good independent problem solvers.

Tutoring Style

My students are always commenting on how knowledgeable, excited, and patient I am as we work together on whatever topic they bring to their sessions. My goal is to help the student become "proficient" in each topic, which often requires review, both at the end of a session and at the beginning of followup sessions. Even when a student says "I've got it", I may ask them to "prove it" with a problem that I create.

Success Stories

The success story that immediately comes to mind is that of a student who had significant learning/processing challenges and wanted to get a degree in engineering. I started working with him when he was taking high school geometry and really struggling with constructing proofs. He did so well with me that year that he asked his mom if she would ask me to continue to work with him. According to Mom, this was "a first" for him after trying a number of other tutors. I continued to work with him for another 5 years until he had completed all required math courses for his college major. This included Calc I, II, and III. By this time, he was ready to take on additional math courses without me; he had become my teacher at that point.

Hobbies & Interests

I enjoy being outdoors and taking walks in quiet natural settings. For additional fitness, I do bodywieght training and play tennis. I also love playing piano, other keyboards, and guitar, especially with other musicians.

‍