Laz

I've been tutoring mathematics since the turn of the century, over two decades now. I have bachelor's degrees from the University of Oregon and have received formal tutor training from the University and from community colleges that I have worked at as a tutor.

My Tutoring Style:

I focus on helping the student learn how to learn. Working together, we find what is causing the student stress in their classes and get rid of those problems. Being able to identify where one is confused and addressing that confusion is a life skill that can be learned. With the knowledge access the internet provides us, anyone can become a self-teaching learner. My job is to help the student succeed in their current classes and get them to the point where they no longer need a tutor - though I'm happy to stay as a reassuring back-up ;) Patience, encouraging feed-back, guided practice, and making sessions a place where students are comfortable asking questions and making mistakes (mistakes help us learn!) are all ingrained habits of mine. Address the Stress, Embrace your Ignorance, and Enjoy the Journey of reducing both.

Success Story:

One of my first students was a returning college student who needed at least a C- in this one last class: College Algebra. It was all she needed to get a job that was waiting for her, that would give her the income needed to take care of her kids - and she was failing. She was so upset and stressed that she was literally crying and stabbing her textbook with her pencil, sure that she was going to lose everything because of this one stupid class. I let her know we would work together to get through this. I talked her through assessment, found some potholes in her math knowledge and filled them in (nobody had showed her how to factor properly!) and we moved forward. We checked her progress with her teacher (yep, he would base her grade on her improvements and final results) and made a plan for success. Her stress attacks grew fewer over the weeks, her quizzes got better and better, and she ended up passing with a B in the class.

Hobbies & Interests:

I enjoy surfing the net and reading. Science-Fiction is a favorite, both books and film. I also like keeping current with the newest tech and science advancements. I t's relaxing to walk the local woods and just turn my brain off to hear and smell the forest.