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Retired Actuary/Former High School Math Teacher
Theodore S.

5.0 (678 ratings)

1,517 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $25
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Response time: 1 hour

About Theodore

Bio

There is no one way to learn. Rote memorization is at one end of the spectrum and instantaneous complete understanding and insight of the topic is at the other end. There is a lot in between. People do not learn everything the same way - their own ability to learn changes from moment to moment and subject to subject.

Sometimes material is taught in our schools in a way that expects the student to learn in a specific manner and speed. That's great when those expectations are met. ...

There is no one way to learn. Rote memorization is at one end of the spectrum and instantaneous complete understanding and insight of the topic is at the other end. There is a lot in between. People do not learn everything the same way - their own ability to learn changes from moment to moment and subject to subject.

Sometimes material is taught in our schools in a way that expects the student to learn in a specific manner and speed. That's great when those expectations are met. But learning math doesn't always work that way. Math tends to build on previously taught (and hopefully learned) concepts and ideas. A lack of mastery of simpler ideas can create problems and frustration later on when more complex material is presented. Smoothing out those bumps in the learning process is what I am looking to do.

Though I haven't been in the classroom for many years, I continually teach in my job. When a topic doesn't click with someone I am working with, I look for other ways to get the concepts across. I look for a familiar starting point and work and rework the lesson as many different ways as needed.

Only when something has been learned have I the right to say I have taught.

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Education

Michigan State University
Mathematics
Univ of Illinois at Chicago
Graduate Coursework
California State Univ East Bay
MBA

Policies

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Algebra 1

Algebra 1

A solid foundation in this subject can be critical to how a student feels about high school math (and math, in general). Not fully undestanding a certain topic can lead to future frustration as the school year progresses. That frustration can turn into a loss of confidence toward math. Simplifying expressions, binomials, powers, factoring, linear equations, and graphing don't have to be difficult topics but if a student misses a key idea on a certain class day, it can quickly snowball. Many times, all it takes to get back on track is some focused review work.
Algebra 2

Algebra 2

The second year of high school algebra introduces new concepts: logarithmic functions, exponential functions, series, sequences, conic sections (and learning how to sketch graphs of these curves). Sometimes the teacher and course move a little too fast for a student. A little help might be all it takes for the topics to make sense again.
Calculus

Calculus

Derivatives, integrals, limits, and infinite series. It can be mind boggling at first, but once that nut is cracked, this area of mathematics becomes an amazing gateway to understanding so much in the sciences. You game?
Geometry

Geometry

I taught high school plane geometry and still look for new and interesting ways to use the material on a daily basis. Angles, figures, lines, area, similarity can be found everywhere and knowing how to work with them can be fun and exciting.
Precalculus

Precalculus

Sequences, series, limits, vectors, polar coordinates - these are many of the topics taught in pre-calculus that become the later foundation of calculus. The transition into calculus can be made so much easier if each topic in pre-calculus is mastered.
Trigonometry

Trigonometry

Trigonometry studies the relationships between the sides and angles of a triangle. There is a lot more to it than just learning how to use the cos, sin, and tan buttons on your calculator. It is a rich subject and is used in many different areas of mathematics. As noted in Wikipedia: "Fields that use trigonometry or trigonometric functions include astronomy (especially for locating apparent positions of celestial objects, in which spherical trigonometry is essential) and hence navigation (on the oceans, in aircraft, and in space), music theory, acoustics, optics, analysis of financial markets, electronics, probability theory, statistics, biology, medical imaging (CAT scans and ultrasound), pharmacy, chemistry, number theory (and hence cryptology), seismology, meteorology, oceanography, many physical sciences, land surveying and geodesy, architecture, phonetics, economics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer graphics, cartography, crystallography and game development." It must be pretty useful stuff!
Theodore S.'s Photo

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Response time: 1 hour

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (678 ratings)
5 star
(666)
4 star
(8)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(3)

Reviews

Great teacher! Very kind and helpful.

Ted has been helping my daughter for about a year now through her honors geometry and algebra classes. She always feels better about everything after a session with Ted. I am grateful that he is always willing to help and makes every effort to work with our schedule. Today, he was able to help her at the last minute before a test. I have recommended Ted to many of my daughter’s friends.

Amy, 25 lessons with Theodore

Excellent Tutor

Excellent tutor with vast knowledge in Algebra 2. He is very patient and explains everything thoroughly. He is always on time and is always prepared.

Kasey, 22 lessons with Theodore

Great session with very helpful tutor.

Ted did a great job tutoring my daughter. It helped her understand the concepts she was confused about. We look forward to our next session.

NIZAR, 14 lessons with Theodore

Great Experience

Theordore is helping our daughter with her high school Calculus class. He provides patient and thorough explanations that have helped her better understand the material. Thank you!

Stephanie, 19 lessons with Theodore

Great teacher, Extremely helpful

Ted has been extremely helpful for my daughter in her honors geometry class. She really enjoys working with Ted as he explains clearly, encourages her to tackle the problems, and shows her different ways to come to the correct solution. We always send him the work prior to the sessions and he is always well prepared. He is also easy to schedule with and very responsive. Thank you so much Ted for your help!

Amy, 25 lessons with Theodore

Fanstastic

My daughter said he was a great teacher and his explanations were clear and easy to understand. She wants to use him again, so I would highly recommend him and will be setting up her next lesson soon.

Rachel, 22 lessons with Theodore

Excellent Pre-Calculus Tutor!

Excellent pre-calculus tutor who knows how to help a shy kid. Our daughter is no longer afraid to say “I don’t know.” Her grade and confidence is heading in the right direction. We are so grateful of the support and direction. A blessing! Thank you!

Dawn, 15 lessons with Theodore

Excellent tutor

Theodore was able to really connect with my daughter on the requested topics where other tutors had struggled to do so. He reviewed all of the concepts that were troubling her and she left the session with a positive attitude.

Alicia, 39 lessons with Theodore

Ted is patient, clear and reliable.

I work with Ted on undergraduate Precalculus; he is always timely and efficient. He allows me to work through problems independently and makes excellent use of the available tools. He is also reasonably priced.

Tiffany, 5 lessons with Theodore

Perfect Tutor, Patient & Knowledgeable

Ted is a very knowledgeable Precalculus tutor. He is extremely patient and really goes the extra mile to explain concepts and the reasoning behind it. I would recommend him in a heartbeat. Thanks Ted!

Mike, 7 lessons with Theodore
Hourly Rate: $25
Response time: 1 hour
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