Hello prospective student! I’m a 24-year-old chemistry graduate of Northwestern University, recently returned from a year of teaching in South Korea. I have nearly enough credits for a second bachelors in computer science, and I'm spending the current year pursuing a masters in Bioinformatics at GMU. In the future I plan to get a PhD in one of the sciences of mind. I tutor high schoolers in science and math for three reasons:
(1) A lot of them need it! Math education in this country is not a rosy picture.
(2) I want people to love the things I love.
(3) It's a great way to fund my own continuing education.
I know how school is. I grew up in the DC metro area and graduated with a National Merit Scholarship from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in 2004. From there I went on to graduate from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL, USA) in June 2008. I began as a philosophy major but ended up a chemist. I spent some time tutoring underclassmen in general chemistry, and found I really enjoyed teaching. By the time I graduated, I was also desperate to see more of the world. So I set out to find a foreign teaching post.
Though I would have preferred to teach science or math, I was unable to find positions in these fields without official teaching certification. The vast majority of foreign jobs available were for English teachers. After obtaining my English teaching certification in Krakow, Poland, I took my first job there. I was an instructor at Motorola Krakow and a few other Polish businesses. Unfortunately I was unable to obtain a Polish visa, so I had to leave this job.
I took my first long-term position in South Korea. For one year I gave private lessons to a few adults while teaching full-time at a private English school for children. I taught kids from kindergarten age through 9th grade. During this year I developed an appreciation for the difficulties and importance of effective teaching. My kids came to my class after spending a full day at public school. By this point in the day, they were far more interested in drawing cartoons, cell phone games, and wrestling each other than they were in some goofy white guy with pathetic Korean language skills. To have any hope of retaining their attention, I had to grab it and hold on like a friendly pitbull. I learned much about engaging students from this experience, and I'm now hoping to apply my skills here in the US.
I have a lot to offer to any high school student struggling with science or math. I love these subjects and I particularly love explaining them. Maybe even too much. I will do my best to both pique your curiosity about the material and ensure that you know the right problem-solving procedures. I also make myself available to all my students for email questions free of charge.
I’m looking to work along the Fairfax-Vienna-McLean axis in Northern Virginia. Great Falls is OK too. I will tutor any high school math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, AP Calculus AB/BC, IB Calculus, AP Statistics) or science (AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Biology or their IB equivalents) course. Thank you for your time and consideration.
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