John's Tutoring Blog

Do you have a student that has Test Anxiety?

I can help provide a cure and eliminate Test Anxiety.

When tutoring students with Test Anxiety, or even if the student only has the common nervousness and “butterflies” that come with preparing for and taking any test or quiz, I help students relax and focus on doing their best on the test or quiz.

I use a variety of analogies, metaphors, allegories, connections, knowledge gains, and preparation techniques to help boost confidence.

I introduce and discuss the concept of Test Swagger and use this process to boost the student’s confidence:

Text...

There are key questions to ask when selecting a tutor for you or your student.

Below is a list of Top 10 Questions to Ask When Selecting a Tutor:

1. What is your experience in tutoring this subject to other students in the same age group and grade?

2. Please describe your tutoring style?

3. How do you help to ensure that the student understands the concepts?

4. What training, skills, knowledge, and credentials do you have in the subject?

5. What type of tutoring experience do you have?

6. How many years of tutoring experience do you have?

7. Where do you do your tutoring?

8. What makes...

The equation below is used for Covalent Bonds, Molecular geometry, electron geometry, and structural formulas to figure the number of bonds in a molecule.

N-A = S equation to figure the number of bonds in a molecule

N = needed: the sum of the number of valence electrons needed by each atom (2 for hydrogen, 8 for all other atoms)

A = available: the sum of the number of valence electrons available for each atom

S = shared: the number of electrons shared in the molecule

S/2 = the number of covalent bonds in the molecule

If you need any help with these concepts, please contact me for tutoring...

Some students forget their skills and knowledge of subjects during the summer because they do not practice and receive tutoring.

Other students maintain or increase their skill and knowledge during the summer by practicing and receiving tutoring on their subjects(s).

To help maintain skill and knowledge level, many parents and students are having me provide tutoring during the summer for one or both of the following reasons:
1. tutoring for reviewing current subjects for practice and maintenance or enhancement of knowledge and skill levels
2. tutoring on upcoming subjects for learning so...

Recently, after I tutored two of my favorite students to prepare them for upcoming tests in Pre-Algebra and Geometry respectively, I received positive reinforcement for the importance and value of customizing the tutoring approach, information, knowledge transfer, and tutoring style.

After the first tutoring session, I was approached by three people as I was waiting for my next student:
1. An elementary school teacher – she complemented me on my knowledge and tutoring style, and asked me for my information to refer students to me for tutoring.
2. A parent seeking a tutor for their daughter...

SOH CAH TOA

When working with Right Triangles in any Math and Science subject, especially Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Chemistry, and Physics, many problems can be solved by remembering this Memory Jogger:

Indian Chief SOH CAH TOA (sounds like soow caah towaah)

Angle = A

Sine A = Opposite/Hypotenuse

Cosine A = Adjacent/Hypotenuse

Tangent A = Opposite/Adjacent

You can use these formulas to calculate and find missing angles or sides to solve various problems.

Please contact me to help your student achieve the best grades possible in Math and Science.

As a Chemical Engineer, I work...

Career Development

I am a Vice President, Quality and EHS at a global biotechnology company. Throughout my 30 year career, I have been a hiring manager, have been active in my own career development, have created and implemented an ongoing Career Development Plan, and have established many Good and Best Practices. As a Subject Matter Expert, manager, supervisor, and executive for over 25 years, I have been responsible to help my direct reports and personnel at all levels in my departments create career development plans and implement career development action items.

I have also switched industries...

What is the difference between a dream and a reality?

A plan to get there, to achieve the dream turns into a reality. This is the difference.

A plan to get there needs to have SMART Goals.

SMART Goals are:

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Attainable, Achievable

R = Realistic

T = Time-Based, Time-Bound, Timed

I help students recognize, analyze, and solve any barriers to learning or academic success. My goal is to help my students achieve success, confidence, and satisfaction, and to apply this success to achieve any goal in school or life.

Finally, I also help my students set and achieve...

“Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”

In Math subjects the Math Order of Operations is very important to solve the problem correctly.

The phrase listed above is an easy way to remember the correct Math Order of Operations:

Please = P = Parenthesis

Excuse = E = Exponent

My = M = Multiplication

Dear = D = Division

Aunt = A = Addition

Sally = S = Subtraction

I tutor all Math subjects.

As a Chemical Engineer, I have completed college graduate level math subjects, and I was always at the top 3 in my class in Math subjects.

As a tutor, the Math subjects are the most frequent subjects that...

Study Skills are very important and make a difference in the overall performance in a class, on tests and quizzes. It is very important to use all 3 phases of learning when studying: visual, auditory, kinesthetic.

I have 32+ years of tutoring and training experience. I was Residential Tutor/Counselor for Upward Bound all 4 summers of college, a Resident Assistant all 4 years in college, and a professional Subject Matter Expert and Trainer for 27+ years working internationally with all backgrounds, cultures, and learning styles. My teaching/tutoring style includes using Situational Leadership,...