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Chemical Engineer & Experienced Math/Science Tutor
Michael R.

5.0 (5 ratings)

10 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $45
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Response time: 5 minutes

About Michael

Bio

Hello! I'm Mike, and I enjoy helping students turn difficult math and science material into something they can understand and solve with confidence.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University and a Master of Public Administration from Tennessee State University. My engineering education gave me a strong foundation in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and quantitative problem solving, and my professional career required me to analyze complex...

Hello! I'm Mike, and I enjoy helping students turn difficult math and science material into something they can understand and solve with confidence.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University and a Master of Public Administration from Tennessee State University. My engineering education gave me a strong foundation in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and quantitative problem solving, and my professional career required me to analyze complex information and communicate it clearly to people with different levels of technical knowledge.

I have taught and tutored students in a variety of settings and at different levels. My experience includes teaching mathematics at the high-school level, serving as a substitute teacher, and providing one-on-one tutoring in mathematics, SAT Math, chemistry, and algebra-based college physics. I have also worked with students in organic chemistry, focusing on both conceptual understanding and problem solving. These experiences have taught me that students often do not need more information—they need someone to identify exactly where their understanding breaks down and help them build from that point.

That is the foundation of my tutoring approach. I do not simply demonstrate a solution and move on. I ask questions, work through examples with the student, use diagrams or other visual representations when helpful, and encourage students to explain their reasoning. I want students to recognize the structure of a problem and develop a systematic way of approaching unfamiliar questions rather than relying entirely on memorization. As a lesson progresses, I adjust the pace and level of difficulty to the student’s needs.

Whether you are strengthening fundamentals, preparing for an exam, working through a challenging course, or trying to become more confident in a subject, my goal is to help you understand not just what the answer is, but why it is the answer—and ultimately to become more comfortable solving problems on your own.

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Education

Louisiana Tech University
Chemical Engineering
Tennessee State University
Masters

Policies

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Approved Subjects

Algebra 1

Algebra 1

I have a strong background in mathematics through my education in chemical engineering and extensive experience teaching and tutoring students. I have taught mathematics at the high-school level and have worked with students at all levels to build confidence with algebraic concepts, equations, functions, and problem solving. My approach emphasizes understanding why a method works rather than simply memorizing procedures, with step-by-step explanations tailored to each student's level. I focus on helping students become independent, confident problem solvers.
Algebra 2

Algebra 2

I hold a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and have extensive experience applying algebra, functions, equations, and quantitative problem-solving. I have taught mathematics at the high-school level and have tutored students in algebra, SAT Math, chemistry, and physics. For Algebra 2, I focus on helping students understand functions, equations, graphs, and algebraic relationships rather than simply memorizing procedures. My approach is to work through problems step by step while helping students develop a systematic approach and confidence in solving unfamiliar problems.
American History

American History

I bring a combination of academic training, extensive reading and personal study, and 23 years of federal-government experience to my American History tutoring. I spent 23 years with the U.S. Department of Energy, including senior-level responsibilities in resource management and international affairs. That experience gave me firsthand knowledge of how the federal government operates, including the executive branch, federal agencies, policymaking, interagency relationships, and the implementation of public policy. My Master of Public Administration provides an academic foundation in government, public policy, and American political institutions, while my professional experience allows me to put those subjects into historical and institutional context. I can help students understand not only what happened in American history, but also how constitutional structures, political institutions, economic interests, foreign affairs, and competing political ideas shaped historical events. I have particular depth in U.S. constitutional and early American history, including the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation and Constitution, Federalism and Antifederalism, the presidency of George Washington, the Bill of Rights, citizenship and presidential eligibility, and the development of the early republic. I have also studied the Louisiana Purchase, the Haitian Revolution and its impact on American and Atlantic history, and the political and geographic development of the early United States. My professional background is especially useful for students who struggle to connect historical events to the operation of government. I can explain complex historical and governmental concepts clearly, help students evaluate primary and secondary sources, develop evidence-based arguments, and strengthen their written responses for history courses and exams.
Chemistry

Chemistry

I have a 5-Star rating for chemistry tutoring on Wyzant. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University and have a strong foundation in general chemistry, quantitative problem solving, and the underlying principles of chemical processes. My engineering background gives me particular strength in helping students connect chemistry concepts to mathematics and real-world applications. I have experience tutoring students in general chemistry and focus on topics such as stoichiometry, chemical equations, atomic structure, bonding, solutions, and equilibrium. I have teaching and tutoring experience with students at different levels and focus on explaining difficult concepts clearly, step by step, while helping students develop the problem-solving skills needed to work independently. I particularly enjoy teaching dimensional analysis, molar mass equations, acid/base reactions, and protonation.
English

English

I have a strong background in English grammar, usage, vocabulary, and written expression, developed through extensive reading, academic study, and years of teaching and tutoring. I can help students understand the rules and conventions of standard English and, more importantly, understand why those rules exist and how to apply them. My approach includes grammar and sentence structure, punctuation, usage, vocabulary, and common distinctions such as who's/whose, its/it's, and less/fewer. I also emphasize the relationship between grammar and meaning, helping students recognize how word choice and sentence structure affect clarity and precision. My study of Latin and Greek has further strengthened my understanding of English vocabulary, word formation, and grammatical structure. I aim to give students a systematic understanding of English rather than simply asking them to memorize isolated rules.
Geometry

Geometry

I have experience tutoring high school students in Geometry and helping students develop a strong understanding of geometric concepts and problem-solving strategies. I focus on clear explanations, careful mathematical reasoning, and guided practice so students can apply what they have learned independently.
Government & Politics

Government & Politics

I hold a Master of Public Administration and have 23 years professional experience in the federal government, including senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Energy. My experience includes federal policy, public administration, budgeting, acquisitions, bona fide need, appropriations, period of availability, organizational management, and the operation of government institutions. I enjoy helping students understand government and politics by connecting concepts from textbooks and civics courses to how government actually works in practice. Talk to me about your appropriation's period of availability and your acquisition's bona fide need.
Grammar

Grammar

I have teaching and tutoring experience working with students at different levels, with an emphasis on clear communication and careful attention to language. I help students understand grammar rules in context, including sentence structure, modifiers, punctuation, agreement, and common usage errors. My approach is practical and step-by-step, helping students recognize why a sentence is incorrect and how to revise it effectively. I also focus on building students' confidence so they can apply grammar skills independently.
Latin

Latin

I studied 4 years of Latin grammar and literature in high school, including translating Caesar's Gaelic Wars, Cicero's In Catilinam and Pro Archia, and Vergil's Aeneid. I enjoy studying vocabulary, practicing verb conjugations and noun declension, scansion of dactylic hexameter, memorization and recitation, among other aspects of Latin.
Physics

Physics

As part of my engineering curriculum I have studied calculus based Newtonian and quantum physics. I have tutored high school students and college students in both topics as well. I particularly enjoy tutoring dimensional analysis, simple harmonic motion, and optics.
Prealgebra

Prealgebra

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. When working with younger students, I focus on building a solid understanding of fundamental concepts rather than simply teaching procedures to memorize. I break problems into manageable steps, explain the reasoning behind each step, and encourage students to ask questions when something is unclear. My goal is to help students develop both the mathematical skills and confidence they need to succeed as they progress to more advanced mathematics.
Proofreading

Proofreading

I have many years of experience proofreading and editing professional communications, including press releases, formal correspondence, technical reports, presentations, briefing materials, and other documents prepared for professional and public audiences. As part of my engineering degree, I also studied technical writing at the college level, giving me formal training in organizing and communicating technical information clearly and precisely. I am particularly attentive to the elements that make writing clear, concise, and professional. In addition to correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage, I look for overuse of passive voice, weak or inconsistent sentence structure, lack of parallel structure, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement, misplaced or dangling modifiers, unnecessary wordiness, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, ambiguous wording, and inconsistencies in terminology, capitalization, and formatting. My professional experience has given me extensive practice proofreading documents for different audiences and purposes, from technical reports and presentations to formal communications and public-facing press releases. I focus on improving clarity and correctness while preserving the writer's intended meaning, voice, and level of formality.
Trigonometry

Trigonometry

I have experience tutoring high school students in trigonometry and helping them develop a solid understanding of trigonometric concepts and their applications. I work with students on both conceptual understanding and problem-solving, with an emphasis on clear reasoning and accurate mathematical work.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

My strong vocabulary has developed through systematic study of English words that share classical Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes. I learned to recognize relationships among groups of related words and use their common elements to understand unfamiliar vocabulary. I can help students break down difficult words, identify their Latin and Greek components, and connect them to other English words with related meanings. This approach helps students develop a deeper understanding of vocabulary and learn new words more efficiently than relying solely on memorization. My goal is to help students see the connections among words so that learning one word can provide a foundation for understanding many others. The Latin "specere" meaning to look at gives us inspect, spectator, prospect, retrospective, circumspect, spectacle, et c. The Greek "grapho" meaning to write gives us autograph, biography, geography, photograph, telegraph, paragraph, et c.
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Ratings and Reviews

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Reviews

My daughter got a lot out of this session.

He was knowledgeable and made the information understandable. My daughter said he was patient in explaining the material. She was more confident to take her first chemistry test after this session. We will request him again.

Karen , 1 lesson with Michael

Great tutor

Michael recently started tutoring sessions with my high school daughter for her IB Chemistry class. He’s very knowledgeable and patient, and easy to work with. Glad we connected and hoping it will make a big difference in my daughter’s confidence level around Chemistry!

Lila, 2 lessons with Michael
Hourly Rate: $45
Response time: 5 minutes
Contact Michael