(877) 999-2681  | BECOME A TUTOR | BECOME A STUDENT  |  Sign In
Search 70,008 tutors SEARCH
Tutors, Tutoring Services, and Homework Help|
Mercedes L. for tutoring lessons in San Diego CA WyzAnt Tutoring Tutor Tutor United States

Mercedes L.

Helping the right-brained student conquer left-brained material

San Diego, CA (92109)

Travel Radius 15 miles
Hourly Fee $32.00
Discount $27.20 - $30.40 Save up to 15% (i)
  8 ratings

Your first hour with any tutor is always 100% refundable!

It has always fascinated me that most people who think they're bad at math made that decision about themselves well before they were even adolescents, and I enjoy helping to change that mindset. Since math shows up in everyday life, it would behoove us to improve the way we relate to the subject.

Since English is not my native language, I gravitated toward math in school because numbers are universal. As a result, I was tutoring my peers before I even had command of the English language. Now, I consider American English my native tongue.

I have tutored math, up to calculus, in the Math Science and Engineering Achievement (MESA) Program at San Diego Community College. I also tutored English composition and grammar, and Spanish at the college level.

I have taken, and passed, the CBEST teacher's exam.

My approach to tutoring is to first evaluate what the student does know so that I can help build from there. I have found that an effective approach is to quickly go through material to expose the student, then return to earlier concepts. The reason this is effective is that the student, especially the young student, tends to assimilate information presented earlier in order to comprehend more complex material -- so that when we return to the earlier concepts, the student feels a sense of ownership of the knowledge.

Mercedes's Subjects

Math:
  • algebra 1,
  • algebra 2,
  • calculus,
  • differential equations,
  • discrete math,
  • geometry,
  • linear algebra,
  • logic,
  • prealgebra,
  • probability,
  • SAT math,
  • trigonometry
Music:
Art:
English:
Test Preparation:
  • ACT English,
  • ACT Reading,
  • ASVAB,
  • CBEST,
  • college counseling,
  • GRE,
  • LSAT,
  • PSAT,
  • Regents,
  • SAT math,
  • SAT reading,
  • SAT writing,
  • TOEFL
Computer:
Language:
History:
  • anthropology
Special Needs:
  • phonics
Elementary Education:
  • elementary math,
  • elementary science,
  • grammar,
  • phonics,
  • reading,
  • spelling,
  • study skills,
  • vocabulary
Business:
Sports/Recreation:
Corporate Training:
Homeschool:

General Computer

I taught myself how to use a computer when they were the primary part of the business world, and the idea of the personal computer was in its fetal stages.

Microsoft PowerPoint

I can help you learn to prepare captivating presentations.

Spanish

Let a native Spanish-speaker tutor you.

English

Although English is the fourth language of the five I was exposed to and learned so far in my life, it has become my predominant language, even over my native Spanish tongue. Therefore, I feel well qualified to help you understand the nuances of this complicated language.

Proofreading

I have been a published feature article writer, and later, editor, of an art magazine in New York City and have an innate talent for spotting spelling, grammatical, and syntactical errors.

Study Skills

The most successful students are not necessarily the ones with the best grades; they are the ones who are the most organized and resourceful.

I learned this the hard way when I returned to school years after having had a family and working. During my prime school years I excelled grades-wise. Later, as a returning student, I had to re-learn how to learn.

I became a peer tutor after I returned to school, with math as my tutoring focus (although I also tutored English and... Read More

ESL/ESOL

Before I started kindergarten, I lived in a Russian-Ukranian neighborhood in New York, where most of the younger children either didn't speak English or were just learning it in school. As the only child of a Spanish immigrant, I spoke neither English nor Russian, but we (the neighborhood children) found ways to communicate.

In those days, there were no ESL classrooms, so I learned by total immersion. I quickly mastered playground English, and paid close attention to grammar and sentence... Read More

Sewing

My mother taught me to sew when I was just a little girl. She was a clothing designer (primarily formal gowns) and was losing her eyesight to cataracts, so I began by sewing curves that she couldn't see very well. By the time I was 12, I was making patterns out of butcher block paper. I made most of my daughter's clothing through her elementary school years.

Public Speaking

I have been invited for speaking engagements since I was a returning student at City College in 2003. Since then, since I was the recipient of multiple scholarships, I have spoken at fundraising events and on panels to engage people in the possibilities of furthering their education. Furthermore, after I transferred to UCSD, I was a teaching assistant and successfully helped students prepare for their oral (and PowerPoint) presentations.

Salsa Dancing

I grew up dancing Salsa on the street corners of Long Island (New York) and in Puerto Rico. I also earned grades of A at UCSD in Dances of the Latin World, and I was an officer of the UCSD Rueda de Casino (Cuban dancing) club.

The best way to learn dance is by breaking the steps down for the novice learner, so that they may begin to feel like second nature. Then the focus is on having fun on the dance floor. I like to teach by total immersion, so prepare to go to Salsa clubs to practice... Read More

College Counseling

I successfully put myself through university after I did "life". Divorced with two children, I went to community college and then university, almost entirely on scholarship.

I have a unique perspective as a student, with the maturity that only life experience can bring.

Linear Algebra

In my early years, I gravitated toward math because of my status as a newcomer to the English language. With numbers, I felt more at ease. Later, I excelled in math, from algebra through calculus at San Diego City College. I earned all A's until calculus, where I got my first C because I omitted brackets! At UCSD, I also took and passed differentials and logic.

Algebra (including linear algebra) remains my favorite math subject to teach.

Needlework

I learned to crochet at the tender age of 6, and have done so consistently for many years. Over the decades, I have made countless baby items, plus skirts, sweaters, hats, scarves and socks.

My children learned math skills by learning to crochet, as well.

Read all subject qualifications »

back to top

Mercedes's Hourly Rate

Hourly Fee: $32.00

Save up to 15% with a discount package

Cancellation: 12 hours notice required

How do I receive a discount?

Save between 5 and 15% on tutoring by purchasing credit with one of our prepaid discount packages. You can buy one of our standard 5, 10 or 15% packages or customize your own package based on how much tutoring you need. The credit you purchase can be used towards any tutor at any time and does not expire. If you do not use the entire package, we will simply deduct what you did spend on tutoring from your original purchase price and give you a refund. Discount packages start as low as $190.

Credit For Only You Save
$200 - $399 $190 - $379 5%
$400 - $999 $360 - $899 10%
$1,000 + $850 + 15%

Guarantee Your first hour with any tutor is protected by our Good Fit Guarantee: You don't pay for tutoring unless you find a good fit!


Background Check Status for Mercedes L.

Mercedes has consented to a background check to be run by Lexis Nexis upon request for $7.99. You will be able to run a background check after you email Mercedes with your tutoring inquiry.

For more information, please review the background check policy.