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Cliff W.

Experienced educator/tutor in English,Humanities, ACT, Math, Science

Experienced educator/tutor in English,Humanities, ACT, Math, Science

$50/hour

4.9 (905 ratings)

  • 2,315 hours tutoring

About Cliff

Bio

Thank you for considering me as a future tutor for you or your son/daughter. I know that education is important to you, and you would like your son/daughter to. I'm here to help.

Teaching/Tutoring:
I’ve taught for 8+ years at the college level and have tutored the last six years, working with elementary students to adult learners. I currently work with students primarily in test prep (ACT/SAT/Praxis), math (Algebra-Pre-Calc), science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), and have also taught Human...

Thank you for considering me as a future tutor for you or your son/daughter. I know that education is important to you, and you would like your son/daughter to. I'm here to help.

Teaching/Tutoring:
I’ve taught for 8+ years at the college level and have tutored the last six years, working with elementary students to adult learners. I currently work with students primarily in test prep (ACT/SAT/Praxis), math (Algebra-Pre-Calc), science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), and have also taught Human Geography, Economics, Psychology, Study Skills, and entry-level Anatomy/Physiology.

I love working with students and really enjoy seeing them succeed. I’m patient and incorporate a number of learning styles (and a sense of humor) to help students connect the ideas. I’ve had many students come to our first session, unsure about tutoring, about school, and about their ability to learn, and I’ve seen them open up, gain confidence, and increase their scores. Some of them have even admitted to “enjoying math” or “literature” after we meet. I see it as an honor to be able to come alongside your student and your family.

Personal:
I love reading, working out, spending time with my family, learning computer software and spoken languages, building things with my young son, traveling, and cooking. While life has taken me on many adventures, I have taken a love for learning and a sense of wonder wherever I have been.
Again, thank you for your consideration as we look to partner in your son's, daughter's, or your own learning adventure.

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Education

Illinois State University
English Secondary Ed
University of Illinois at Springfield
Masters

Policies

Schedule

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Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Subjects

Business

GRE, Microsoft PowerPoint

Computer

Microsoft PowerPoint

Corporate Training

ESL/ESOL, Grammar, Microsoft PowerPoint, Proofreading

Elementary Education

Elementary Math,

Elementary Math

I help students get a solid grounding with math facts, understand geometric concepts, learn to think through fractions, decimals, percents, tell time, and begin to work with mental math (they don't often teach this in school) so they can be "faster than a calculator." I really enjoy working with younger students in this area (and a few older students as well!).
Reading,

Reading

My dad told me as a kid, "If you can read, you can do anything . . . except fly like Superman." I took this to heart and have been reading a lot ever since. I went on to study literature, teach at a college for eight years and tutor for the last five. I've worked with students from kindergarten-adult in reading, and help them build vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension skills.
Spelling,

Spelling

I grew up rocking the spelling bee competitions when I was a kid. Better though, I've always loved reading and understand and work with the basics of phonics, reading, and spelling, both with students and with educators. Having a good foundation in phonics helps build good spelling patterns.
Study Skills,

Study Skills

In addition to teaching students in English, math, science, and ACT prep, I have worked with students on developing good study skills by managing their time, setting priorities and goals (and rewards), eliminating distractions, and staying accountable. I work with students to develop a planner, journal, and break assignments into smaller pieces. I also incorporated different learning style techniques to help them meet their goals.
Vocabulary,

Vocabulary

I love words, word families, word roots, word linguistic origins . . . you get the idea. I help students develop strategies for decoding unfamiliar vocabulary, for building vocabulary, and for breaking down/decoding unfamiliar words (especially when taking tests).
Grammar

English

ACT English,

ACT English

I've helped a number of students in one-on-one sessions and ACT/SAT workshops. I help crack the code on strategies and content. I'm excited to work with you!
English,

English

I taught writing, humanities, and literature at the college level for 8+ years. I make grammar and the writing process relevant and easy to understand.
Reading,

Reading

My dad told me as a kid, "If you can read, you can do anything . . . except fly like Superman." I took this to heart and have been reading a lot ever since. I went on to study literature, teach at a college for eight years and tutor for the last five. I've worked with students from kindergarten-adult in reading, and help them build vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension skills.
Spelling,

Spelling

I grew up rocking the spelling bee competitions when I was a kid. Better though, I've always loved reading and understand and work with the basics of phonics, reading, and spelling, both with students and with educators. Having a good foundation in phonics helps build good spelling patterns.
Vocabulary,

Vocabulary

I love words, word families, word roots, word linguistic origins . . . you get the idea. I help students develop strategies for decoding unfamiliar vocabulary, for building vocabulary, and for breaking down/decoding unfamiliar words (especially when taking tests).
ESL/ESOL, Grammar, Literature, Proofreading, SAT Writing, Writing

History

Classics,

Classics

In college and undergrad I was a literature major, but since then I have also partnered with nationally recognized Classical education schools. I help students work their way through the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Ovid, and also Dante, Dickens, Chaucer, Boccaccio, into the modern day. I combine historical background to help students understand the context behind the stories.
Geography,

Geography

I've taught Human Geography and have also helped students brush up on traditional geography. I love making connections between the Human Geography topics and current events. I also like to make multiple connections to make the learning "sticky" and more relevant.
American History, European History, World History

Homeschool

Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

While my background is in English, I bring a unique mix to Algebra 1 that works really well with students setting a foundation. I work with a number of learning styles that help make the concepts memorable and help students see the "system" in math.
Algebra 2,

Algebra 2

In Algebra 2, I help students go deeper into algebraic concepts, looking at vertex and absolute value functions, simplifying radicals, imaginary numbers, and using synthetic math and the quadratic equation to gain confidence in dealing with more complex algebra.
English,

English

I taught writing, humanities, and literature at the college level for 8+ years. I make grammar and the writing process relevant and easy to understand.
Reading,

Reading

My dad told me as a kid, "If you can read, you can do anything . . . except fly like Superman." I took this to heart and have been reading a lot ever since. I went on to study literature, teach at a college for eight years and tutor for the last five. I've worked with students from kindergarten-adult in reading, and help them build vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension skills.
Spelling,

Spelling

I grew up rocking the spelling bee competitions when I was a kid. Better though, I've always loved reading and understand and work with the basics of phonics, reading, and spelling, both with students and with educators. Having a good foundation in phonics helps build good spelling patterns.
Study Skills,

Study Skills

In addition to teaching students in English, math, science, and ACT prep, I have worked with students on developing good study skills by managing their time, setting priorities and goals (and rewards), eliminating distractions, and staying accountable. I work with students to develop a planner, journal, and break assignments into smaller pieces. I also incorporated different learning style techniques to help them meet their goals.
Chemistry, ESL/ESOL, Geometry, Prealgebra, SAT Math, Writing

Language

ESL/ESOL

Math

ACT Math,

ACT Math

I love working with students in the ACT Math section. In addition to teaching you strategies, I also provide tips to doing mental math, becoming more efficient, and understanding math in new ways. The skills you learn go beyond just taking the ACT test.
Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

While my background is in English, I bring a unique mix to Algebra 1 that works really well with students setting a foundation. I work with a number of learning styles that help make the concepts memorable and help students see the "system" in math.
Algebra 2,

Algebra 2

In Algebra 2, I help students go deeper into algebraic concepts, looking at vertex and absolute value functions, simplifying radicals, imaginary numbers, and using synthetic math and the quadratic equation to gain confidence in dealing with more complex algebra.
Geometry, Prealgebra, SAT Math, Trigonometry

Most Popular

Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

While my background is in English, I bring a unique mix to Algebra 1 that works really well with students setting a foundation. I work with a number of learning styles that help make the concepts memorable and help students see the "system" in math.
Algebra 2,

Algebra 2

In Algebra 2, I help students go deeper into algebraic concepts, looking at vertex and absolute value functions, simplifying radicals, imaginary numbers, and using synthetic math and the quadratic equation to gain confidence in dealing with more complex algebra.
English,

English

I taught writing, humanities, and literature at the college level for 8+ years. I make grammar and the writing process relevant and easy to understand.
Reading,

Reading

My dad told me as a kid, "If you can read, you can do anything . . . except fly like Superman." I took this to heart and have been reading a lot ever since. I went on to study literature, teach at a college for eight years and tutor for the last five. I've worked with students from kindergarten-adult in reading, and help them build vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension skills.
Study Skills,

Study Skills

In addition to teaching students in English, math, science, and ACT prep, I have worked with students on developing good study skills by managing their time, setting priorities and goals (and rewards), eliminating distractions, and staying accountable. I work with students to develop a planner, journal, and break assignments into smaller pieces. I also incorporated different learning style techniques to help them meet their goals.
Chemistry, ESL/ESOL, Geometry, Prealgebra, Writing

Other

Geography,

Geography

I've taught Human Geography and have also helped students brush up on traditional geography. I love making connections between the Human Geography topics and current events. I also like to make multiple connections to make the learning "sticky" and more relevant.
Study Skills,

Study Skills

In addition to teaching students in English, math, science, and ACT prep, I have worked with students on developing good study skills by managing their time, setting priorities and goals (and rewards), eliminating distractions, and staying accountable. I work with students to develop a planner, journal, and break assignments into smaller pieces. I also incorporated different learning style techniques to help them meet their goals.
ESL/ESOL

Science

ACT Science, Chemistry, Geology

Special Needs

Study Skills

Study Skills

In addition to teaching students in English, math, science, and ACT prep, I have worked with students on developing good study skills by managing their time, setting priorities and goals (and rewards), eliminating distractions, and staying accountable. I work with students to develop a planner, journal, and break assignments into smaller pieces. I also incorporated different learning style techniques to help them meet their goals.

Sports/Recreation

Chess

Chess

I have loved the game of chess for a number of years. I have played in a number of tournaments (USCF and non-USCF tournaments) and teach beginning to intermediate chess. I teach the basics of chess play, opening King pawn and Queen pawn moves, and also middle game strategy. I am also available for group tutoring. Chess is great for teaching logic, problem solving, and memorization.

Summer

Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

While my background is in English, I bring a unique mix to Algebra 1 that works really well with students setting a foundation. I work with a number of learning styles that help make the concepts memorable and help students see the "system" in math.
Algebra 2,

Algebra 2

In Algebra 2, I help students go deeper into algebraic concepts, looking at vertex and absolute value functions, simplifying radicals, imaginary numbers, and using synthetic math and the quadratic equation to gain confidence in dealing with more complex algebra.
Reading,

Reading

My dad told me as a kid, "If you can read, you can do anything . . . except fly like Superman." I took this to heart and have been reading a lot ever since. I went on to study literature, teach at a college for eight years and tutor for the last five. I've worked with students from kindergarten-adult in reading, and help them build vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension skills.
Study Skills,

Study Skills

In addition to teaching students in English, math, science, and ACT prep, I have worked with students on developing good study skills by managing their time, setting priorities and goals (and rewards), eliminating distractions, and staying accountable. I work with students to develop a planner, journal, and break assignments into smaller pieces. I also incorporated different learning style techniques to help them meet their goals.
Chemistry, ESL/ESOL, GED, Geometry, SAT Math, Writing

Test Preparation

ACT English,

ACT English

I've helped a number of students in one-on-one sessions and ACT/SAT workshops. I help crack the code on strategies and content. I'm excited to work with you!
ACT Math,

ACT Math

I love working with students in the ACT Math section. In addition to teaching you strategies, I also provide tips to doing mental math, becoming more efficient, and understanding math in new ways. The skills you learn go beyond just taking the ACT test.
Praxis,

Praxis

When I took the Praxis exam, I passed it near the 99% mark. I also currently work with a number of Praxis students and am current in the material. I have also taught ACT/SAT test prep, English, writing, and tutor in Algebra 1, 2, Geometry, and Trig. The Praxis exam has a significant amount of overlap in these areas.
ACT Science, ASVAB, GED, GRE, SAT Math, SAT Writing

Examples of Expertise

Cliff has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 2 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

See all of Cliff ’s answers ›

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.9 (905 ratings)
5 star
(856)
4 star
(46)
3 star
(0)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(3)

Reviews

Show reviews that mention

All reviews helpful explains things ideas patient really great

Featured review

Praxis testing

Cliff was instrumental in helping me study and pass Praxis tests. He was knowledgeable in all subjects, showed patience and compassion. He used multiple teaching techniques to identify how I learned best!

Jay, 56 lessons with Cliff

Great Assist

My teenage son enjoyed Cliff and his approach to tutoring algebra 2 honors. Cliff was able to help him through a virtual tutoring session. We recommend Cliff for your tutoring needs.

Alecia, 4 lessons with Cliff

I highly recommend!

Cliff is great! He is patient, kind and has several ways to teach you. If one way of learning does not work, he will then try another avenue until you comprehend the material. I definitely enjoy our tutoring sessions.

Heather, 14 lessons with Cliff

Knowledgeable and patient

Cliff is a terrific teacher. I loved our lesson. He made me feel very comfortable. He is very knowledgeable and patient. Very organized and professional he made me focus on what is important.

Loredana, 8 lessons with Cliff

In-depth and knowledgeable

Cliff helped my son review for his upcoming AP Human Geography test. He helped bridge the gap between reading assignments and application using current event examples.

Kim, 1 lesson with Cliff

Algebra 2 Lesson - Mid-term Review

Mr. Wheeler has been a great tutor for my son. He makes algebra easier for my son to understand and his average this year has been 90! He is very patient and kind. He is also accommodating with his schedule. We feel fortunate to have found him and highly recommend Mr. Wheeler!

Br, 76 lessons with Cliff

Patient and thorough

Cliff has been working with my 16-year old son for about 6 months tutoring him in chemistry and geometry. Cliff is very good at finding ways to connect the material to the real world. My son tells me that he understands the material better after he goes through it with Cliff. In a large public school such as his, the teacher's don't have much time for individual questions, so working with Cliff has helped my son crystallize topics he wouldn't have grasped otherwise.

Kimberley, 47 lessons with Cliff

Does an EXCELLENT job of explaining concepts!

Our son found his instruction very relatable, i.e. Cliff connected his explanations to easy-to-remember, everyday life scenarios; huge plus in helping students to remember what they’re learning. He is friendly/personable, patient, lively, and provided valuable details about the structure of the test (ACT) and a clear picture re a strategy going forward. Wish we’d found him sooner!

Sonya, 5 lessons with Cliff

Great tutor!

Our daughter learned more in one hour with Cliff than she has learned in 2.5 months in her class. Cliff explains math very clearly and concisely. We heard many ahh ha moments during the session.

Kari, 8 lessons with Cliff

Tailoring instructions

Cliff was attentive to my learning goals. He was able to identify a specific strategy toward understanding the content, ensuring that learning the information can be achieved.

Donald, 2 lessons with Cliff
Contact Cliff

Response time: 2 hours

$50/hour

Cliff W.'s Photo

Cliff W.

$50/hour

  • No subscriptions or upfront payments

  • Only pay for the time you need

  • Find the right fit, or your first hour is free

Contact Cliff

Response time: 2 hours