I am fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, having taken advanced coursework in both languages at the university level and having lived and worked in Latin America. In addition to being born in South America, I have lived worked and traveled to 12 Spanish speaking countries. I have also traveled extensively on my 6 trips to Brazil, visiting 11 Brazilian states. I have an excellent grammatical foundation and an extensive vocabulary in both languages, including colloquial and idiomatic expressions. I am equally adept at reading, writing, and conversational skills. I am particularly attuned to differences between Spanish and Portuguese. There are a lot of similarities but also a lot of differences, particularly when it comes to pronunciation.
I find mathematics to be a fascinating and fun subject. I have an MS in Engineering. I have encountered many students with anxiety when it comes to math. I am a calm person by nature and have had considerable success reducing math anxiety which allows for an atmosphere conducive to enjoyable learning. I feel that it is very important to break mathematics down into understandable components. Understanding fundamental concepts is the key to learning more complex ideas and solving advanced problems.
I enjoy teaching. I have taught upper-level high school math and science in Ecuador, taught Spanish to middle school students in the Upward Bound Program, and worked at the elementary school level as a volunteer. I have conducted training programs at the corporate level in a variety of technical areas. I strive to establish an intellectual connection with the student, regardless of age or background. Each student is an individual who learns most effectively at his/her own pace. I am very sensitive to finding that pace for each student and working at the pace. It is very important to establish a good base which can serve as a firm foundation for future learning.
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