Lisa

I am a certified teacher with over a decade of experience in the classroom teaching middle school math and science.  I have a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Brigham Young University-Hawaii and I tutor grades 5-College.

My tutoring style:

I take a hands-on approach to learning and regularly include visual cues, play, inquiry, and real world applications when working with students. I am patient, encouraging, and allow students to show me their thinking and learn from mistakes. I desire to have open communication with my students and their parents (and teachers when possible) as we are all a team with the common goal of supporting their academic success. I believe building a strong and trusting relationship creates a space for students to feel confident and attain success through academic rigor and practice.

Success story:

One of my favorite success stories happened after I moved from San Diego, CA to Boise, ID. I had to say goodbye to many of my in-person tutoring students, though many wanted to continue online. One student who I had been meeting in person with for 3 years didn't think she could benefit from remote tutoring. After trying a new tutor that semester, she ended up repeating the class. With a month to go before completing the class for the second time, her mom called me as a last resort. When we started online, she was barely holding on to a C. After 2 weeks, meeting twice a week, she called me to say she scored 95% on part 1 and 100% on part 2 on her test!  With 2 more weeks until the end of the semester final, we followed the same routine as we studied together and I am happy to say she scored 96% on her final and received a B+ in the class. Although I cannot profess to be a miracle worker, I believe our relationship and her trust in following my lead gave her the support she needed. The sweet text message from my student letting me know how grateful she was and how much I had helped is the reason I continue to tutor!

Hobbies and interests:

I have five grown children and a bunch of grandkids who are my pride and joy. I love all things related to water and regularly swim, kayak and paddle board. I currently work for fun as an informal educator with a focus on water and climate action, presenting at STEM events and teaching kids about water quality on the Boise River. I am an avid walker and log an average of 20 miles a week. I've driven across the US multiple times and love camping and being a tourist. I love music, and movies and attending lots of concerts.