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Effective Ph.D. Tutor of Mathematics and Physics
Jeffrey M.

4.9 (1,160 ratings)

4,376 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $69
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Response time: 4 hours

About Jeffrey

Bio

I have over 30 years of experience as a tutor and lecturer in mathematics and physics, both before and after I completed my physics & biology BA at UC Berkeley and my physics PhD at the University of Illinois. I am available for tutoring at middle school, high school, and college levels. In 2019, I was one of the top 10% of over 17,500 tutors who had lessons on Wyzant.

My students feel comfortable telling me what they didn't get in class or from their textbook, and so we are able to...

I have over 30 years of experience as a tutor and lecturer in mathematics and physics, both before and after I completed my physics & biology BA at UC Berkeley and my physics PhD at the University of Illinois. I am available for tutoring at middle school, high school, and college levels. In 2019, I was one of the top 10% of over 17,500 tutors who had lessons on Wyzant.

My students feel comfortable telling me what they didn't get in class or from their textbook, and so we are able to address those issues right away. I like to first establish the knowledge base of my student. We then work together to build on it to expand knowledge and gain mastery and confidence through supervised practice. The end goal is for students to show an ability to handle problems independently and with confidence, and to gain a sense that they can handle new challenges and situations that expand their comfort zone.

My specialties include college level calculus (including differential equations and multivariable calculus), linear algebra, and physics, AP Physics, AP Calculus, precalculus, SAT, ACT, ASVAB math prep, GRE math prep, Pre-algebra, algebra, plane geometry, and analytic (e.g., Cartesian) geometry. I teach online and sometimes as far north as Burlingame and as far south as San Carlos.

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Education

University of California, Berkeley
BA-Physics and Biology
San Francisco State University - Physics
Masters
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Physics
PhD

Policies

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Algebra 1

Algebra 1

Before we jump into Algebra, I make sure that my client has mastered pre-algebra subjects. Many students entering algebra need work on arithmetic with fractions, how to calculate least common denominators, etc. I very often start by showing my student how to write out the prime factorization of the integers from 1 to 50, and then having the student continue, as a homework exercise, from 51 to 100.
Algebra 2

Algebra 2

I have found it to be critical to be sure that the student has mastered skills from Algebra 1 before going forward. My first session thus usually involves some diagnosis of which skills the student needs help with before going on to Algebra 2. A firm base on which to build is required.
ASVAB

ASVAB

I have helped several people with the math section of the ASVAB test, but do not consider myself qualified to teach the rest of the test, certainly not the mechanical aspects of the subject. I have found that my ASVAB test prep manual has superb word problems for doing math, and I share them with my ASVAB (math) students.
Calculus

Calculus

I have been teaching and tutoring math for years, and the student feedbacks on my Wyzant profile indicate that my methods are very effective. I invite you to read those student feedbacks. I use active learning techniques so that my students learn by doing, not only by listening to me or watching me solve problems. As can be seen from the feedbacks, these techniques often result in markedly improved performance and confidence for my students. I sometimes share my decades of experiences in physics research and biomedical instrumentation engineering in order to tell my students some of the direct applications of the math and physics that I teach them.
Geometry

Geometry

It is often necessary to brush up on arithmetic and algebra while concurrently working on geometry. I do such review on an as-needed basis. An essential part of that review is supervised practice of techniques.
GRE

GRE

The GRE math questions are by no means simple, and they cover the gamut of geometry, algebra, number theory, and applications of all of the above. I have found that working from a GRE test preparation book is the most effective way to gain experience with how to handle GRE-type math questions. As necessary, I supplement the content of such prep books with explanations of concepts that are often confusing to students (e.g., that the square root function does NOT distribute over addition, as some students think).
ISEE

ISEE

I prepare my students for ISEE by working problems from ISEE prep books together with them, focusing on those subjects with which the student has the greatest difficulty. For example, one of my current lower level ISEE students needs much remedial work in arithmetic, but is already very good at reading comprehension. For both vocabulary and for mathematics preparation, I find that flash cards are a very useful tool for my students.
Physics

Physics

I have loved physics, and the teaching of physics, since attending Lowell High School in San Francisco. My undergraduate major at University of California at Berkeley was Physics & Biology. In addition to my experience teaching physics as a grad student at SF State and the University of Illinois, I've taught physics courses at University of San Francisco and College of San Mateo.
Prealgebra

Prealgebra

It is critical, before going into pre-algebra, that students have a firm command of arithmetic. My experience is that many such students have troubles adding and subtracting fractions, and my first task with such students is to make sure that they have mastery of that kind of calculation.
Precalculus

Precalculus

Much of my work with precalculus students has consisted of a thorough review of trigonometry, finite and infinite series and sequences, and analytic geometry. My approach is always to be sure that the basics are mastered before attempting more advanced topics (e.g., students need to have mastered the graphical properties of linear functions before working on quadratic ones (hyperbolas, ellipses, parabolas).
SAT Math

SAT Math

The key to studying for the SAT Math section is to get an SAT practice book and work on as many problems as possible. Those practice books contain the right mix of geometry, algebra, probability, etc. I usually work through such books with my SAT math students, giving them supplemental information in those areas where they need extra help.
Trigonometry

Trigonometry

Since so many homework and exam problems in trig involve multiples of 30 and 45 degrees, I show all my students how to derive all the trig functions for those angles based on only two facts that need to be memorized: sine 30 degrees= 1/2, and tangent 45 degrees=1. It's nice to go into an exam knowing that one can derive all those trig function values based on just two memorized facts.
ACT Math
Physical Science

Examples of Expertise

Jeffrey has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 18 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Jeffrey M.'s Photo

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Response time: 4 hours

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.9 (1,160 ratings)
5 star
(1,110)
4 star
(44)
3 star
(4)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(2)

Reviews

Very adaptable and understandable!

Mr. Jeffrey has been my physics tutor for many weeks now and I am extremely satisfied with the experience. His adaptability with new topics each week is very useful for my school course which is fast-paced, and he also effortlessly made his teaching style very easy to understand and also easy to recall. Making the whiteboards was very useful as well because I could look at them later. His explanations are always very clear too and make a lot of sense even if the topic is very complicated. He is also very patient which is great if you do not catch concepts easily or quickly. Overall, I highly recommend Mr. Jeffrey as a physics tutor.

Shakila, 24 lessons with Jeffrey

Jeffrey M.

Jeffrey tutors my son with Calculus BC AP. My son moved to Calculus BC AP without going through Calculus AB, hence, extra effort was needed to ensure he succeeded in the class. He was able to break down and simplify a new concept and make it easy to understand. He worked with my son when I shared the areas of concern through observations and through conversations with my son. In short, Jeffrey is good in explaining and make new concepts easy to understand.

Tran, 24 lessons with Jeffrey

Awesome tutor

We started calss with Jeffery through a refernce from our frind and we took Precal and physics classes with him. On the first class, asked my daughter what she wants to learn and and whatever she said , he taught her that on the fly and the teaching was exaclty what she was looking for. She loved his class and asked me to take more classes . Thank you to Jeffery for being a wonderful teacher .

Kavita, 31 lessons with Jeffrey

great tutor

Jeffrey taught Calculus-multivariable: Feedback: very concise clear and thorough approach -did various sample problems to understand concepts and fundamentals in approaching to solve

Anita, 2 lessons with Jeffrey

AP physics 1 assistance

Great explanations and a great pace. My son says the call helped him quite a bit. Really appreciate the help on short notice.

Tim, 4 lessons with Jeffrey

Knowledgeable good tutor

Jeff was very knowledgeable on the concept and was able teach well that helped my daughter to understand the concepts better. She felt confident after the class. Will go back to him for future.

Swaminathan, 19 lessons with Jeffrey

Good tutor

Jeff has been working with my son on pre-algebra math for a little more than a month. My son hasn't been taking any tests, so it's difficult to say whether he's really absorbing the lessons. However, I've looked at my son's work, and he seems to have improved quite a bit. Jeff provides updates after every session, which I appreciate. We plan to continue working with Jeff through the school year.

Tim, 50 lessons with Jeffrey

Excellent Tutor!

I meet with Jeff nearly every week for College-level Math classes (Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations). He is the best! I've learned so much from him in merely a year of tutoring and couldn't picture myself working with a better tutor. Jeff explains concepts thoroughly and is very patient with my questions. Jeff is incredibly knowledgable and knows how to pinpoint a student's weakness. I highly recommend Jeff to any student.

Brandon, 69 lessons with Jeffrey

Great Calculus Tutor

Jeffrey has been a great calculus tutor for my son. He provides timely summaries of lessons, has been very prompt in responding to messages, and punctual in keeping appointments. I appreciate that he has suggested additional practice resources. He has helped my son fill some gaps in his knowledge and is now teaching him topics that he is about to encounter in class. This really helps with academic confidence. I would highly recommend Jeffrey!

Theresa, 33 lessons with Jeffrey

Great AP Calculus and Physics Tutor!

Jeffrey has been helping our son with AP Calculus and AP Physics 2 for the last several months. He is an experienced and effective tutor. He goes extra mile to send extra notes and diagrams to help with my son’s understanding of the subjects. Very flexible when we need to make a schedule change. My son enjoys working with him and has improved his confidence and performance in these two challenging courses.

Juin Yuan, 41 lessons with Jeffrey
Hourly Rate: $69
Response time: 4 hours
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