High School Science, Physics, Engineering Design, Robotics & CAD

Raymond B.

I hold a current Massachusetts licensure in STEM (grades 6–12) and completed my undergraduate degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in conservation biology, supported by coursework in ecology, evolutionary biology, and general biology, as well as a minor in chemistry that included organic chemistry, quantitative analysis, and environmental chemistry. I was inducted into Sigma Zeta, the national science honor society, reflecting consistent academic achievement across the sciences. I've also completed Philosophy of Science and Nature, which has shaped how I approach scientific reasoning with students; not just as content mastery, but how and why science works as a way of knowing.
I've been teaching secondary science for over seven years in a public school setting, in both whole-class and small-group contexts. My subjects have included biology, Earth and space science, astronomy, physical science, and non-calculus physics. I'm also PLTW-certified in Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering, giving me solid footing in CAD, mechanical design, basic circuits, and robotics. In one-on-one and small-group contexts, I naturally adapt to where a student actually is rather than where the curriculum assumes they should be; which is often where the real tutoring work begins.
The students I've worked with range from middle school through high school, with the bulk of my experience at the 9th–12th grade level. My approach leans on building genuine conceptual understanding before procedural fluency. I'd rather a student understand why current flows, then memorize Ohm's law for a test. I'm comfortable with informal diagnostic conversation to figure out where a gap lives, and I'm experienced working with students who've had inconsistent instruction or who struggle with standard classroom pacing.