When I speak with parents, I am often asked the difficult but fair question: "Why does my child need a math tutor?" Beyond getting an "A" in the classroom and boosting the student's GPA, the benefits of a math tutor are not clear. After all, the vast majority of my students will not pursue a career in math, science or engineering. However, what I do know is that all my students will need to be critical thinkers and problems solvers if they want to succeed as adults. My goal at every tutoring is to create and nurture the love of learning and develop problem solving skills that will last a lifetime.
All my students benefit from personal math tutoring because there is a genuine opportunity to ask me questions and receive responsive explanations. When I answer students, I do not just give them the "answer." I am more interested in how they arrived at the answer and will listen carefully to their explanation to determine if they understand the logic and reasoning behind each step. During tutoring sessions, the correct reasoning methods are reinforced and misunderstandings are diagnosed and corrected.
After working with thousands of students over the years, the vast majority of students, whether they are barely passing or getting As, enjoy math and problem solving if they simply have the tools to solve problems and are challenged according to their skill level. For students who are feeling overwhelmed, their frustration turns to disinterest. Students who have mastered the in-class material become easily bored due to the redundant repetition. While practice questions are necessary to reinforce skills, excessive worksheets and homework does not develop independent thinking. New ideas and inspiration simply do not come from constant repetition. At every session, I strive to challenge each and every student based on their abilities to raise their self-confidence and boost their enjoyment. I give all my students the tools and skills to confidently dissect a problem and solve it efficiently.
My tutoring process begins at different stages depending on student ability, but the goal is always the same: mastering the fundamentals while also increasing intellectual curiosity and problem solving skill.
My background and qualifications:
I graduated from Whittier College with a degree in mathematics and a specialty in childhood math instruction. I am a California credentialed math teacher and have been a math teacher and tutor for the last 12 years. I enjoy teaching math because I like challenging the false idea that math is hard. At the highest levels, I strive to inspire my students to become critical thinkers and adapt the lessons they have learned in math class outside of the classroom.
Being a math tutoring specialist is an enjoyable experience. Because I only teach math, I am able to dedicate my time to finding new and innovative methods to develop and explain concepts for routine problems. Most importantly, I have had the privilege and pleasure of being taught by some of the most creative and inspiring teachers, my own students. By telling me their problems and teaching me their solutions I have been able to develop and build a collective toolbox of strategies and methods to effectively address the most common and complicated questions.
I trust that you and your child will find me extremely skilled and friendly. I hope to meet you soon and exceed your expectations!
Josephine
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Dear parents and students, I am excited to announce I now have an office to increase my availability and decrease my rates. My office is conveniently located in Torrance near Del Amo mall. The above rate is only for small group tutoring. Please contact me for rate details, directions and tutoring information. Thank you!
back to top