Phd Physicist with teaching and tutoring experience

Raina O.

I have 5 years of experience tutoring one-on-one and teaching math, physics, and coding to college and high school students, including both non-science majors and science/engineering majors. I have a PhD in Physics, as well as a Masters in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelors in Computer Engineering, and over 10 years of practical research experience in both industry and academic settings.

I use students natural physical intuition to promote deep understanding of core concepts. I explain physical concepts by appealing to experiences most people have had, such as how it feels on a roller coaster, how you open a door, or what it looks like when you dive under the water and look at people above the water. I start with new students by asking how they learn best, and what subjects/concepts they are most and least comfortable with and change my teaching approach based on their answers. This philosophy originates from my own experiences as a student and my own difficulty in understanding highly formal statements or methods not well connected to my physical intuition. I often approached problems in a different way than my teachers and colleagues, but still got the correct answers.

I find that often students who think of themselves as being "bad" at math and science just have a different way of thinking than the standard way the subject is taught. I love teaching one-on-one because it allows me to work with the student to parse through their own natural understanding step by step, and then come up with a problem solving approach that works best for them.