Matthew

As an aspiring mathematician and logician growing up, I aim to share my enjoyment of math to many others. I have a bachelor's degree in mathematics and logic from UC Berkeley and I tutor grades 7-College.

My tutoring style:

My tutoring style is one that varies and is solely based upon one principle: it’s all about the student. While I appeal to each student’s individual learning abilities and habits, I like to bring the relationships with my tutees to a higher plane. Instead of a mere instructor-student relationship, I want to relate to each one on a human level. When they see me, I don’t want to be viewed as a teacher, but a mathematical companion. Whether they like mathematics or not, I find this to be the most effective way to convey material I have for my students. I hope each tutee I have can find me as a helpful ally while learning the beauty of math. In this way, not only will they excel in the field, but find a friend and the enjoyment of mathematics.

Success story:

It was one student I knew from a family-friend. Among his siblings and friends, he was generally the typical upbeat, naughty kid. In addition, school really wasn’t his forte. Although he was doing okay in some areas of school, his heart just wasn’t there for any of the subjects. At some point, his grade in math was taking a hit, and he wasn’t listening to his parents. As the parents made a last ditch effort to help him, they reached out to me to tutor him. I always took this kid under my wing, but never in an academic setting. I felt like if I became a “strict tutor” to him, I would ruin what I had with him. Even without prior tutoring experience, I took the risk, knowing at this point that it was all or nothing for him. Although I made a few mistakes in the beginning, his openness to me is what paved the way for his mentality to be reshaped. By displaying to him in-depth theory behind every concept and reinforcing problems in his mind, not only did he go on to ace his math classes, but his disposition changed as a student. Ultimately, he had a newfound appreciation for math, a proud achievement I never thought I could make him do.

Hobbies and interests:

In my off-time, I like to anything that involves a productive exercise! This takes form on a physical and mental capacity! Physically, I love to work out and play ultimate frisbee. Mentally, I love anything that involves a puzzle-like mentality! In addition, I’m an avid chess player!