Richard M.
Simi Valley, CA
Experienced retired High School Math and Science Teacher
Hunter C.U.N.Y., BA degree
Environmental Science StudiesUnification Theological Seminary, MRE degree (Religious Education)
Master'sEl Camino College, Torrance, California, AA degree (General Science)
OtherAbout Richard
I enjoy working with students who want to learn. I am a retired California public high school math and science teacher. I have a single subject California teaching credential in math, physics, chemistry, geoscience (earth science), and biological sciences (biology).
I taught algebra as a high school math teacher, as well as
Policies
Cancellation
24 hours notice requiredStudents will be charged a slightly higher hourly rate if I will be driving farther than 10 miles in order to tutor them.
Travel Radius
Travels within 10 miles of Simi Valley, CA 93063Richard offers online lessons
Richard is approved to conduct lessons through Wyzant Online. Wyzant Online allows students and tutors to work remotely via video, audio, and collaborative whiteboard tools. For more information about how online tutoring works, check out Wyzant Online.
If you’re interested in online lessons, message Richard to get started.
"A tutor who knows his subject"
- Cindy, Simi Valley, CA on 10/18/16Thank you my daughter is starting to understand. You explain concepts well, are patient and very knowledgeable. With you help I think she will understand Physics
Dear Cindy,
Thank you for the kind and glowing recommendation. I will use this, it is so good. I hope to live up to your expectations in our work to help your daughter learn her physics.
"Knowledgeable and Thorough"
- Karl, Simi Valley, CA on 7/7/17Richard is very knowledgeable and thorough. We are really drilling down on the trigonometry principals which will help me with college Calculus. Looking forward to what is next
"Excellent tutor"
- Babitha, Simi Valley, CA on 2/11/17Richard appears to be very organized and displays a lot of patience with our son who can be easily distracted and go off task. He is helping with both Math and Chemistry. Very satisfied with his tutoring ability. Look forward to working with him, for the rest of school year !
"Great Chemistry tutor"
- Ramesh, Simi Valley, CA on 12/20/15Richard has been tutoring my son, 10th grader, for about three months now. Richard comes prepared, brings teaching materials with him and shows up in time. He teaches by showing examples and asking questions to my son. This helps my son a lot to get handle on concepts, understand theories and find a way to solve problems. In addition to focusing on lessons taught in school, Richard teaches overall subject, and as well goes beyond what is required for grade level. Most important, my son is more comfortable with Chemistry lessons now and his scores have started improving. I strongly recommend Richard as a Chemistry tutor, and keep up the good work Richard!!
Approved subjects are in bold.
Approved subjects
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ACT Math
I have taken a variety of math, English and science tests throughout school, in the military, in college, and to become a teacher. The tests have ranged from the SAT, CEEB, and CBEST, and I have developed methods and strategies to help my students become more successful while taking their tests.
As an LAUSD high school math teacher, I taught algebra, and as an LAUSD high school science teacher I taught algebra, geometry and trigonometry to my students to help them do our activities, labs, problems, and science projects in our physics, chemistry, earth science, and biology classes.
ACT Science
I have taken tests and exams for science throughout grammar school, high school, preparation for college, while in the military preparing for the military academy, and special certification exams to become a science teacher in all four main realms of science: physics, chemistry, earth science, and biology. These tests have ranged from IQ tests during grammar school; to SAT, CEEB, to get into college; and the Praxis, and CSET exams to become a science teacher.
I have developed strategies and study methods that have made it easier for me to study for, pass, and do well on these tests and exams, and I have been preparing my students for all of their school exams.
Algebra 1
Algebra 1 was the first subject that I taught when I started teaching high school as a math teacher in 1990, and I taught high school for 15 years. I have made the understanding and correct use of mathematics my solid foundation.
I started teaching science when I went to another school, and continued to use algebra extensively in all my physics and chemistry classes.
Algebra 2
I started teaching algebra in 1990 as a new high school math teacher, then moved over to teach physics, chemistry and the rest of the sciences. I retired after teacher for 15 years. I had been an engineer for 10 years before moving into teaching, and I used that foundation to infuse math into every one of my classes.
I drilled all my chemistry and physics students on their use of algebra, geometry and trig, and we did it by hand first, and then on a calculator. Graphing is a great way to visualize what the data shows and is something that can help students visualize what is happening with the trend of the numbers.
Biology
I have always been interested about biology. When I was growing up I had my own plot of land in our back yard and planted a garden of vegetables. I also had a microscope and leafy plants were growing outside my bedroom windows. I found aphids on the leaves, and while looking at one of the aphids under my microscope I saw an adult aphid give a live birth. I taught biology in high school every year I taught school, either as part of the 9th grade Integrated Coordinated Science courses, and also in the 10th grade biology classes. My BA is in environmental science studies.
CBEST
I took the CBEST in order to become a teacher, and I passed it the first time in.
My math score was a sufficiently high score and, with my reading and writing scores, all scores were high enough for me to pass.
In order to become a credentialed teacher in 2002, I needed higher scores in each topic, math reading and writing, so I retook the writing part later to obtain a higher score in reading, so I could get my teaching credential.
Chemistry
I taught high school science for 15 years and am credentialed in all sciences: physics, chemistry, geosciences, and biology.
I studied all physical sciences in college, my AA is in General Science, and my BA is in Environmental Science Studies.
I worked in a chemical refinery doing regulatory compliance work, creating formulae and calculations, and submitting required paperwork and reports to our company and governmental agencies.
Elementary Math
I have always enjoyed math. In school I found repetitive math tasks, such as doing division by hand, as interesting as repetitively practicing playing guitar while I was in a high school band.
Math led me to science and I graduated in general physical science and eventually to environmental science, because math is the foundation of science.
I became an engineer and eventually taught math and science in high school. I also tutored math and science in group homes for at risk students.
Elementary Science
Elementary science, including biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences, are interesting to me and have been a source of interest to me my whole life.
My interest in elementary sciences was able to develop as my math skills improved.
I eventually made science my major, worked as an engineer, and taught high school science.
GED
I retired after having taught public high school. My wife and I raised our three kids, put them in public school, and I taught them at home after I got home from teaching math and science in public high school. All the educational practices that worked at school I applied at home to help supplement our kids education, and all the nurturing and encouraging practices that worked at home I applied in my teaching at school.
Geology
I became very interested in geology when I was shown how South America and Africa once fit together before they diverged due to tectonic motion.
Geology is an integrated science because it needs the foundations of math, physics, chemistry, and to a lesser extent, biology.
I went on many geological field trips while in college from California to New York and on personal trips to Brazil.
I taught high school science and earth sciences.
Geometry
I enjoyed studying geometry in high school because I liked and respected my geometry teacher.
I used my geometry to build constructions before I understood trigonometry or calculus.
As an engineer and research teacher on a university project, I used my geometry construction experience to build a demonstration model of a rotating satellite using faces that were solar cells and calculated the best polyhedral shape to maximize surface area that would face the sun, and that would minimize the number of faces needed.
I used my understanding of geometry to help my physics students understand trigonometry.
Guitar
I learned to play guitar in high school. My parents bought me a black Silvertone arch-top acoustic guitar and I played guitar to records and studied a Mel Bay chord book. My friend built an electric bass guitar for me in his high school wood shop class and we played in a band together all through high school. While still in high school I paid $150 for a Fender Mustang electric guitar with my earnings from my paper route. I also bought a beat up 1943 Martin 00-18 acoustic guitar from my neighbor for $55, spent a lot to repair it,and kept it for a very long time. After my time in the army I traded in my Fender Mustang, paid an additional $100, and got a Gibson SG electric guitar and played professionally Fridays and Saturdays in another band on the Redondo Beach Pier with the Gibson and the Martin guitars.
Much later, as an LAUSD high school math and science teacher, I worked with Little Kids Rock and got 10 free classical acoustic guitars and taught guitar in my classroom during our lunch time.
I finally gave the restored Martin back to my neighbor's family after he passed away.
Physical Science
I have always been interested in science, because I had great science teachers. I found physical science interesting because I could investigate it.
I became very interested in geology and all the other physical sciences, chemistry and physics.
I have applied my interest in science by working as an electrician, design engineer, building computers, playing music, and teaching high school science.
Physics
I have been quietly interested in physics my whole life because it seemed to answer how material behaved. I used my interest in physics to explore wave behavior in music and microwaves, and to experiment with electrical circuits.
I have worked as an engineer and have qualified one step below a Professional Engineer as an Engineer-In-Training.
I have taught high school physics and made presentations at the annual physics teacher program at Occidental College.
Praxis
To become a high school teacher I had to take the Praxis exam, along with the SSAT exam, in order to pass my certifications to teach physics and introductory physical and life sciences,
Not long afterwards, I did an added authorization to teach chemistry, and only needed to take and pass another specific exam in chemistry.
Much later, when I was applying to get a certification in biological sciences and geoscience, I had to take the new teacher certification exams, known as the CSET exams, on my particular subjects, along with all new exams to teach introductory physical and life sciences, all of which I passed.
Prealgebra
I taught algebra when I started teaching high school, and later I used that solid foundation in math as a basis for my teaching of all the science subjects.
I taught math to my three children at home so that they would be better prepared for their school work.
Constant practice and memorization are needed to become better at math, and yet it is only when it becomes interesting and a challenge that math becomes easier to learn.
I have to say that I did not really understand the purpose of algebra until I studied calculus, and then it made the most sense to really understand and be able to correctly use algebra in order to solve more complex problems in our world.
Precalculus
I have studied precalculus over the years. It was originally called elementary functions, and it is now called math analysis.
I recently took this precalculus class at our local community college, and I have been helping other students to study this subject.
I started out as a math teacher in 2000, and taught science with math for 15 years.
Probability
I have studied and used probability in algebra 1, algebra 2, statistics and precalculus. I have found that problems involving independent and dependent events are often asked in a variety of situations, although probability is typically only taught in algebra 2. I have made it my passion to understand and be able to use probability whenever I spot it's possibility.
PSAT
As a public high school teacher I have conducted and supervised the annual PSAT exam for all my students in my classroom.
I have encouraged my students to develop and manage their time management skills while taking their PSAT exams.
Students should look over the whole test, as much as they can. Most of the multiple choice answers are incorrect so they should only look at the nature of the questions. They should do the easy questions first, go back and work on the harder questions, and double check all of their work.
I have tried to pass these lessons learned down to my own kids as well as to all my students.
SAT Math
I have taken the SAT math tests when I was applying to go to college.
I have taken IQ tests and exams during elementary school, during high school, applying for college, for the military, and certifying qualification exams to become a math and science teacher.
I have acquired study skills and tests taking strategies that have worked for me, and I have tried to pass that down to my own kids and all my students.
SSAT
While working on my California teaching credential, I sat for and passed the SSAT.
This experience has allowed me the experience to help others, who also want to become teachers, to be able to study for and pass their exams.
I have classroom experience conducting tests and exams for my students in their curriculum school tests, as well as experience conducting state and national testing programs.
Trigonometry
I started teaching math in high school as a long term sub, then got my next full time high school position teaching science.
I taught all my science courses with a heavy emphasis on math.
My first year I taught three physics courses and included a lot of algebra and trigonometry in all of the physics problems.
Trigonometry was not required to get into our high school physics classes, so If my students didn't yet know trigonometry, then I taught them trigonometry so that we could do a good job learning physics.
Other Simi Valley, CA Tutors
Richard M.
Simi Valley, CA
Experienced retired High School Math and Science Teacher