I recently graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, completing coursework in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermal physics, electronics, and optics. Physics is a subject where students often get stuck not because the material is too hard, but because nobody has shown them the intuition behind the equations, and that is the gap I like to close.
For two years I worked as a Learning Assistant and Grader for an algebra-based physics...
I recently graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, completing coursework in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermal physics, electronics, and optics. Physics is a subject where students often get stuck not because the material is too hard, but because nobody has shown them the intuition behind the equations, and that is the gap I like to close.
For two years I worked as a Learning Assistant and Grader for an algebra-based physics course at CSU Chico, where I graded homework, labs, and exams for a full semester of students and held regular office hours and in-class support sessions. That role put me in front of the same core misconceptions over and over, and I worked closely with the course instructor to adjust our support materials based on where students were actually getting stuck rather than where the syllabus assumed they would be. In one-on-one sessions my approach is to start with a concrete example or diagram before touching the algebra, since most physics confusion clears up once a student can picture what is physically happening in a problem.
Outside the classroom I worked as an undergraduate research assistant building and testing laboratory equipment, and I have worked on several independent projects in electronics and control systems, experience that keeps my own physics and math skills sharp and lets me connect classroom concepts to real, tangible systems when that helps a student. I tutor best when a session feels like a conversation rather than a lecture. I ask a lot of questions, let students work through problems themselves with guidance, and adjust pacing depending on whether we are preparing for a specific exam or building longer term understanding. I am comfortable working with high school and college level students in algebra-based and introductory calculus-based physics, as well as supporting math courses leading up to that level.
