Highly Experienced Middle School Math Teacher

Vanessa R.

Hi, I am Vanessa! I graduated from Rhode Island College with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Middle School endorsement in Mathematics for grades 6–8. I also earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum from American College of Education. I have 13 years of experience teaching middle school mathematics in grades 5–7, with 10 years primarily teaching 7th grade.
Throughout my teaching career, I have worked with students with a wide range of abilities, learning styles, and academic needs. I have extensive classroom experience as well as experience providing individualized support to students who need additional instruction, practice, or confidence in math. I believe tutoring should be personalized to meet each student where they are academically.

My tutoring approach is patient, supportive, and student-centered. I begin by identifying the specific skills or concepts a student needs to strengthen and then break them into smaller, manageable steps. I use strategies such as modeling, guided practice, visual representations, real-world examples, and questioning to help students understand both how to solve a problem and why the process works. I encourage students to ask questions, learn from mistakes, and explain their thinking.

I have extensive experience teaching foundational and grade-level math skills, including fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions, percentages, expressions and equations, geometry, statistics, and problem-solving. I am especially passionate about helping students build strong foundational skills and confidence in mathematics. My goal is for every student to leave a session feeling more confident, capable, and prepared to solve problems independently.