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David F. for tutoring lessons in Austin TX Over 20 tutoring hours WyzAnt Tutoring Tutor Tutor United States

David F.

Best Math Tutor in the Galaxy

Austin, TX (78759)

Travel Radius 25 miles
Hourly Fee $40.00
Discount $34.00 - $38.00 Save up to 15% (i)
  19 ratings

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

I have an Associate of Science in Engineering from Austin Community College. The degree is largely worthless, but does include some vector calculus, calculus-based physics, and chemistry.

In the course of obtaining my degree at ACC, I worked in the Physics Lab at ACC, and in my work I've helped dozens of students receive good grades in Physics, Calculus, and related classes (all math). I did this for about 2 1/2 years. As a result, naturally, I have some insight into how instructors grade students, what sorts of topics appear on tests, what sorts of problems appear, etc.

Math and physics are topics that can't be learned by rote memorization. A tutor in these fields isn't really a teacher, he's more of a coach. I help students to figure out how to work the problems. I'll lay down some ways to solve problems, and show students new approaches to solving problems, which is what a good coach should do. And I'll provide appropriate encouragement to help the student along. In the end, the student has to figure it out, just like the soccer player has to figure out how to kick the ball.

My general method is to take representative problems from the homework set and work them with the student. In the course of working each problem, we will discuss the overall problem-solving strategy, how each step is a part of that strategy, and often relate specific concepts to more generalized ideas. The emphasis is always on the few simple ideas that make Geometry the subject that it is. When we finish the current section, we'll look forward to the next sections so that the student will have some preparation before the class studies it.

Best results are obtained over several sessions when the basic problem-solving strategies are given time to sink in and the student will become more independent of the tutoring.

I believe very strongly that learning is fun, and that no clowning around is required to make it fun. I also believe very strongly that the reason so many people in this country are bad at math is because they've had Bad Math Teachers. I'm the guy who, with a few words, can make the most arcane mathematical concepts suddenly appear to be obvious. Don't let yourself be convinced that you're not good at math. Turn it around, you *can* do this.

David's Subjects

Math:
Science:
English:
  • ACT English,
  • ACT Reading,
  • English,
  • grammar,
  • proofreading,
  • reading,
  • SAT reading,
  • SAT writing,
  • vocabulary,
  • writing
Test Preparation:
  • ACT English,
  • ACT Math,
  • ACT Reading,
  • ACT Science,
  • ASVAB,
  • SAT math,
  • SAT reading,
  • SAT writing,
  • SSAT
Computer:
  • HTML,
  • PHP,
  • SQL
History:
  • American history,
  • European history,
  • geography,
  • world history
Elementary Education:
  • grammar,
  • reading,
  • vocabulary
Sports/Recreation:
  • chess
Corporate Training:
  • grammar,
  • HTML,
  • proofreading,
  • SQL
Homeschool:

Algebra 1

A first semester or year of algebra contains a series of seemingly useless problems that feel much like busy work. An in-depth study of linear equations is coupled with the strong undercurrents that linear equations are too simple to be useful to anybody. Students spend long hours factoring things without any ideas why they should be doing it, and then they turn around and learn how to redistribute so that the stuff they carefully factored is now the well-organized mess it started as.
Read More

Algebra 2

Algebra 2 typically contains an exhaustively detailed and boring study of quadratics, factoring of polynomials, systems of equations that include quadratic equations, an introduction to trigonometry and an introduction to functions. Most students find that graphing parabolas is fun, and the rest of the class is a trod through the swamp.

It's also very easy to get discouraged in algebra. The biggest concerns for a student facing this class are keeping her confidence levels up, keeping... Read More

Chemistry

Ahhh, chemistry. Formerly called alchemistry before the superstitious nature of the studies was removed and replaced with rigorous application of the scientific method. Chemistry. It's like cooking, only with algebra.

I'll be the first to admit I don't like chemistry. The discipline is so old that there's no consistent naming of formulas or concepts that helps a student to memorize them. The methods for working each problem require starting from scratch at the beginning of every chapter... Read More

Physics

Physics is Phun! It's easily my favorite class. From the start with kinematics to the end where you study thermodynamics, every lab is fun, every problem interesting, and every section challenging. Physics is the kind of class that can turn a kid into an adult. It's the kind of class that can change your world view--forever!

And for all the challenges it brings, it does so at a pretty high pace. The first section of every physics class throws no less than 12 formulas that students have... Read More

Precalculus

If you read my description of Algebra, than you know how I feel about skills classes and their relative utility. Precalculus is all about skills. It is an in-depth study of functions using all the tools you learned in algebra. Some classes will introduce the limit operator near the end, but many won't. Precalculus is all about preparing for calculus. If done right, you will find yourself well-prepared.

If you do the cowboy math thing like I did, you'll find yourself cramming precalculus... Read More

SAT Math

Standardized tests are an annoying but necessary part of life. I treat the SAT and ACT much the same, and for anybody who cares, in 1993 when I took them, I scored 1270 and 28, respectively. Not terribly high, but pretty respectable. I do not have recent test scores to show.

When preparing for the SAT and ACT, I like to take some time to go through a review of all of the math concepts that are actually tested. In this stage, we'll do every problem as free response, and make sure the... Read More

Geometry

Geometry is one of my favorite subjects to tutor.

It is often the first time students encounter math that requires significant visualization skills. The ability to visualize the problem is an area that most students have difficulty, which isn't surprising considering that up to this point most students have been finding the value of x, not its location.

Geometry also introduces the idea of the mathematical proof; an idea that doesn't really come up again until a student is... Read More

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David's Hourly Rate

Hourly Fee: $40.00

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Background Check Status for David F.

Passed

David F. passed a background check on 9/10/2012. You may run an updated background check on David once you send an email.

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