Sonja M.

Hi!

My name is Sonja.

I've tutored elementary math, all levels of high school algebra, GED prep, and college algebra. I have solid math content knowledge. I have a bachelor's degree in math and I passed the Praxis II math exam with a 162 (VA required 147, and 162 was an above-average score).

83% of my WyzAnt students report a 1 to 3 letter grade increase. This data is up-to-date as of 4/11/2013. Note: The best way to maximize success is to give me frequent updates on the student's progress in school. This way I can evaluate how effective we are as a team and make changes and recommendations as needed.

I enjoy tutoring. I'm good at it for these reasons: I empathize with students' challenges, I like math, I read about math education, and I believe each student has a unique intelligence profile that informs their approach to math. As Howard Gardner puts it, it's how you're smart, not how smart you are!

Being a good tutor means nothing without my students. My students want to achieve more; I'm there to help.

I am looking forward to meeting you!

Sincerely,

Sonja

Sonja's Subjects

Math:	ACT Math, algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, prealgebra, SAT math
Test Preparation:	ACT Math, GED, SAT math, SSAT
Elementary Education:	elementary math, study skills
Homeschool:	algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, prealgebra, SAT math, study skills

Algebra 1

I was once talking with a middle school class about the origins of algebra and showed them a picture and asked them if they knew who it was. One boy answered, "Bin Laden!" While I found that answer amusing it was not the right answer. For the right answer let's backtrack a bit:

There was once a place called the "House of Wisdom" in Baghdad, Iraq, and it was the intellectual capital of the world. One of its brightest mathematicians was Al-Khwarizmi. From his name and the title of his... Read More

Algebra 2

It's said that a teacher in the 18th century once gave busy work to a boy named Carl. Carl was supposed to add all the numbers from 1 to 100. He noticed that when he rewrote the numbers backwards and under the original list, each column added to 101. Then he had 100 columns adding to 101, so he multiplied: 100x101. This was twice the sum he needed, so he divided by 2. Busy work solved!

Let me know when you recognize this as a special case of...

And let me know when you figure... Read More

SAT Math

SAT math is delicious...like tiramisu!

The questions are thoughtful and very well-crafted. It's worthwhile to practice these types of problems at least a month before the actual test. The test dates for 2013 are Jan 26, March 9, May 4, and June 1, so plan accordingly!

You should also become familiar with how the SAT is evaluated; for exampe, multiple choice questions have a 1/4 point penalty per wrong answer.

My role in helping you is to work on:
*algebra,... Read More

GED

You're thinking seriously about getting your GED. Maybe you've been out of school for several years. Life happens! I know! It took me 16 years to get my bachelor's degree. It can be intimidating to take that first step back into academics. If you need someone to help you on your path to your GED, I'm here.

The GED Math test includes number computations, Algebra, and Geometry. You probably remember more than you think you do. Together we can review concepts and then practice in test-like... Read More

Read all subject qualifications »

Education

Thomas Edison State College (Math)

Great Tutor — Sonya was well prepared and very personable Our daughter is very pleased with her tutoring style, which is important. Sonya was very patient and went over homework and worksheets to make sure our daughter understood the concepts, as the worksheets were not always clear. Look forward to Sonya continuing to work with her.

— Wayne from Centreville, VA

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