Alicia

About Me

I recently graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science. My passion lies in education; I have been a tutor for 7+ years, working with students in grades 2-12 in a range of math and English subjects. With the support of my tutoring and targeted approach, my students have seen their grades improve significantly and gained a better understanding of the content.

Tutoring Style

My tutoring philosophy relies on a growth mindset. One of the greatest challenges for many students is a fear of making mistakes. But this fear of failure holds us back — it prevents us from trying if we're at all unsure. I encourage a growth mindset with my students, one that embraces mistakes as part of the learning process. No one can learn without messing up, because mistakes are what we learn the most from. That is why I encourage progress, not perfection. I am a prompt and reliable communicator and am more than happy to collaborate with students and parents to tailor our sessions to meet your needs.

Success Story

As a math tutor, one of the most common refrains I hear is "I'm just not a math person." My goal is to prove you wrong! I've had countless students come to me convinced that their brains just aren't wired to do math, but that mindset is a self-fulfilling prophecy. One student in particular had struggled with math for their entire education and had almost given up trying. Over the course of several weeks, we worked together to build up their math abilities, going back to foundational concepts to ensure they had a strong understanding of numbers before working on more advanced skills. Eventually, they were excelling in math classes they never thought they'd be capable of taking. Usually, all it takes to realize that anyone can do math is a different way of explaining things. I strive to adapt my math tutoring to the needs of my students, to pinpoint exactly where the confusion lies and find a way of teaching it that works for each individual student. That's why my favorite tutoring moments are when it finally clicks for my students - when a math concept they've been struggling with suddenly makes sense.

One of my favorite moments as a tutor was with a 2nd grader who was struggling with reading. He was falling behind his classmates and reading far below grade level, but was uninterested in trying to change this. For weeks, he dreaded our sessions and often refused to participate. With some patience and kindness, we were slowly able to build a trusting relationship, which is the foundation of any successful tutoring. The more he trusted me, the more we were able to get to the root of his challenges with reading and build up his literacy skills. By the end of the school year, he was not only reading at his grade level, he was actually enjoying it and looking forward to reading - a huge achievement considering where we started.

Hobbies & Interests

I love gardening and houseplants - I have an indoor jungle with 30+ plants. I also spend my time doing puzzles, crocheting, and watching reality TV (my guilty pleasure).

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