Kathy S.

Experienced Tutor Specializing in Math, Test Prep and ESL

Experienced Tutor Specializing in Math, Test Prep and ESL

My name is Kathy. I have a Bachelor's in Humanities, a Master's in Anthropology and a Ph.D. in Education. I have been tutoring formally for over 30 years but actually began helping other students when I was in elementary school because I enjoyed teaching others. I have studied personal learning styles so can do an evaluation and then work with students in the way that works best for them. I can work with students from their class materials or provide my own materials with a clear lesson plan and practice.

I have a TESOL certificate and have taught ESL for two universities, a community college and a private language school. Some courses I taught combined math and English instruction. In addition, I have taught workshops and done private tutoring for many standardized tests, including SAT, GRE, TOEFL and IELTS. I taught SAT prep, both math and verbal, for UCSB Early Academic Outreach in many high schools. I understand that these timed tests are difficult for many students so have developed ways to teach students strategies for these exams. I try to remove some of the stress associated with them by presenting them as a kind of challenging game to be mastered.

I enjoy English and math and can assist students with both. I have always enjoyed grammar and have developed methods to explain grammar concepts in a simple and clear way. As far as math, I realized that many times students do not understand the verbal instructions or math concepts as explained by their books or teachers. They actually need a kind of translation into language they can understand. I have developed many different ways to explain each math concept and work with students until I find a way that makes sense to them. By doing this, I have helped students who failed math in the past to succeed in their math classes.

I have a flexible schedule and respond quickly. I enjoy tutoring students and helping them find academic success. Please contact me to learn more and to discuss your specific tutoring needs.