Master's in biology + 6 years teaching experience

Ben K.

I hold a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology with a concentration in botany (my lifelong passion), and I have six years of teaching experience across multiple settings. I’ve taught biology, environmental science, and chemistry in high schools in San Francisco, at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., and in a range of field- and lab-based programs.

I leverage my teaching experience in my day job where I currently mentor undergraduate tutors at UC Berkeley and teach them the theory, practice, and art of teaching science and math. I also advise undergraduate Berkeley students in a selective biology program and help them navigate university and prepare for life beyond college (typically for graduate school, medical school, and various health professions). My background prepares me well to tutor high school and college science material, and my current role advising and mentoring students gives me a clear sense of what strong applicants communicate in personal statements and how admissions committees read and evaluate student narratives. So if you’re applying to college and want help shaping your application essays, I’m happy to support that process as well.

My teaching style is socratic and metacognitive in its approach. This means I ask targeted questions to help students think, rather than passively receive information. I help them distinguish what they truly understand from what they might partially grasp, and then guide them in building the conceptual bridges that connect those pieces. My goal is not just to help students “get the right answer,” but to help them understand how they arrived there and how they can apply that thinking elsewhere.

I’m excited to work with you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!