Indiana University, Bloomington
EnglishSt. Meinrad School of Theology
Master'sRio Salado - Post Bac Teaching Certification & Math coursework; Oakton Comm College Math coursework
OtherAbout Mark
Hello. My name is Mark. I am an experienced teacher, tutor and paraprofessional. I have worked with learners from 1st and 2nd grade to their mid to late 20's.
Elementary Math, Reading, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry, College Basic Math, GED preparation, SAT and ACT Math, Algebra2 are all areas where I can help you or your child gain
Policies
Cancellation
24 hours notice requiredTravel Radius
Travels within 12 miles of Rockford, IL 61114Mark offers online lessons
Mark is approved to conduct lessons through Wyzant Online. Wyzant Online allows students and tutors to work remotely via video, audio, and collaborative whiteboard tools. For more information about how online tutoring works, check out Wyzant Online.
If you’re interested in online lessons, message Mark to get started.
"Excellent tutor."
- Angela, Rockford, IL on 3/10/16Great with kids. Not pushy. Quick to gauge deficit areas. Listens to my student. Works well with her. Very polite. Always on time. Laid back and not intimidating. Flexible and easy to work with Really eager to help. Doesn't give up! Very impressed!!
"Connection!"
- Jackie, Roscoe, IL on 5/14/17Working on improving my son's SAT score. They had an instant connection and were excited as they went through problems together! Can't wait to see the results at the end
"Mark was very patient with me."
- Nicole, Loves Park, IL on 2/21/16Mark taught me easier ways of solving problems that I thought were too complex and I would never understand. My only regret is that I wish I would have found him sooner.
"Great tutor!"
- LeaAnne, Machesney Park, IL on 10/30/15Mark was able to quickly identify the area my daughter needed help with. He gave specific suggestions on what exercises she could do at home to improve her skills. Additionally, his written follow up was concise and helpful.
"Mark is an awesome tutor!"
- Kelly, Rockton, IL on 3/15/15We started with Mark in December 2014, a few weeks before finals. My son had a low D and after a few weeks with Mark he got a C for the semester grade. My son looks forward to his sessions with Mark, his teaching style is laid back and calm. He even checks in with me after quizzes and tests to see how my son did. He truly cares about his students. Mark is very accommodating with meeting times and is punctual. My son is more confident with the math and has been using various apps and websites that Mark has shown him to practice. We will continue with Mark, and I would recommend him to anyone who needs help with Math or other subjects listed on Mark's page.
"Great Tutor"
- Shannon, Roscoe, IL on 12/15/14Mark has been working with my son for a few weeks now and my son has shown so much improvement. He is so much more confident. We will continue our sessions with mark. He is also very accommodating to our schedule.
"Goes above and beyond!"
- Debby, Belvidere, IL on 9/15/14Mark has truly been a godsend. He has tutored my 7th grade nephew for over a year and I have seen a huge progress in my nephew's ability to work though problems and in his academic progress. Mark goes above and beyond any expectations I had - he has even offered to contact teachers! Mark takes a true interest in the success of my nephew and he has great skills as a tutor.
Update:
Mark has now been working with my nephew for three years. My nephew just started high school and thanks to Mark, he is in accelerated Algebra 2 and accelerated Geometry as a freshman. Mark is incredibly diligent, patient, and really seems to care about my nephew's success.
"Saving the quarter and passing the semester!"
- Tony, Machesney Park, IL on 5/9/14Been working with Mark for two months now. My son's grade in Geometry before Mark's arrival was a failing grade of 50%. After some retake work on a quiz and test his overall grade is now up to 69%. The first attempts for a passing grade on quiz's and tests would have been nice, but with everything my son has failed to understand in the first two quarters. Mark has been challenged to recover that course work while also staying on top of the current homework topic and prepare for upcoming finals. As of today a second attempt on a failed quiz he scored a 72% and on a failed test he scored a 84%. Not out of the woods yet, but we are headed in the right direction. This is why I have Mark stopping by twice a week.
"Great Tutor!"
- Anthony & Michelle, Loves Park, IL on 10/25/13Mark is a great tutor. He has been working with our daughter in Algebra 2 for the past 3 months and her grade has improved by 15%. She has a better understanding and feels more confident in her test taking skills. We would recommend Mark to anyone who is needing help in Math.
"Helped a lot with Math and English for an advanced graduate student"
- Michael, Rockford, IL on 5/7/13I was having trouble passing certain areas on the new basic skills test, TAP. I was just a few points away from an acceptable score for my teaching certification and Mark helped me get the score needed. I had not taken a Math class in over 11 years and needed much refreshing and Mark found a way to make math come right back to me. He explained concepts and showed examples of how to work step by step through problems and equations. He was always on time and very easy to communicate with. He also has a lot of new IPAD technology that makes it easier to interact and do work. Overall 10/10.
"Exceptional tutor."
- Kendra, Loves Park, IL on 5/6/13Mark S. has been tutoring my fourth-grade daughter for several months. He is very punctual and personable. She enjoys her sessions and has made remarkable progress, especially in math. He makes learning fun and she is motivated by her success. She especially enjoys some of the iPad apps he uses. We are very pleased and plan to continue tutoring over the summer.
"Great tutor - willing to work out schedule changes if possible"
- Joe, Rockford, IL on 12/21/12Even though I consider myself well versed in math and algebra Mark has been able to bring a different perspective to my son - we started in 8th grade and he is now a freshman. Mark has been a great addition to our son's study plan.
"Can't Go Wrong Here!"
- Mariyah, Loves Park, IL on 12/7/12Mark is currently tutoring my daughter in College Math. He is extremely patient and a great teacher, and my daughter looks forward to their sessions. She says she is understanding concepts in math that she never could before. I can see that he is building up her math confidence and she is feeling better about herself in this area than she ever has. His schedule is flexible and he comes right to the house for sessions. He even went so far as to find and send us worksheets until we had an appropriate textbook from which to work. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Mark to anyone needing a tutor.
"Mark is a God-send!!"
- Kasondra, Rockford, IL on 8/15/12We were looking for a tutor to help our son be better prepared for high school algebra. He lacked confidence in math and had some areas he really struggled with. We chose Mark from his excellent reviews and we were not disappointed. In fact, Mark is better than we thought possible. We've had experience with Sylvan Learning Center with our other son and felt it was a huge waste of time and money, so we were not sure what to expect with a private tutor. In contrast, this experience was so wonderful, and it was one of the best investments we've made in both time and money. By the end of the first one-hour session, Mark had identified our son's problem areas and started making a difference in them without hours of special testing before hand. Mark made recommendations as to how to approach the "holes" our son had and gave us a couple of options. He continually communicated with us to assess if he was "on track" with what we expected and what our son needed. He was always doing even better than we hoped or expected. He was also very accommodating with our crazy schedules. Before meeting Mark, our son was not happy about the prospect of having a tutor or having to do math in summer. After the first session with Mark, he not only had more confidence in math, but was actually excited about the revelations he had when concepts finally "clicked". Mark was very conscientious about hitting that perfect area of challenging, but not overwhelming and made the most of their time together. Over the summer, our son had a total of about 10 sessions with Mark. He is now actually confident about algebra and seems to be looking forward to it. The change is amazing! I cannot tell you how many times I could hear the "lightbulb go on" during their sessions as our son grasped things that frustrated him in the past. I highly recommend Mark and look forward to working with him if needed in the future!! Thank you, Mark! What a blessing you've been!
"Great Tutor"
- Lisa, Poplar Grove, IL on 5/17/12My daughter was having real problems with math. It took the first semester for me to notice she was having a problem. I went on Wyzant and researched a lot and looked for someone who is patient and reliable. So I called Mark, at this point, Mark and I sat down and really focused on a game plan on how to help my child. My daughter was in a regular geometry class but the teacher is an AP instructor for all her other math classes and that is how she taught this one. My daughter was failing. So Mark and I talked and we changed teachers. Between Mark and her new teacher I have to say it made a world of difference. My daughter went from a 20% in the class starting out to a 70%. Wow! Thank you Mark for all your patience, persistence, and just being there for her.
"Awesome Tutor- very patient and prepared!"
- Marilu, Marengo, IL on 11/29/11Mark has been such a wonderful tutor in Algebra, Geometry and in World Literature\L.A.! You are a real angel and have made a huge impact with your tutoring. Thank you for making learning fun, interesting and being a part of a great accomplishment!
"Great and knowledgeable tutor!!"
- Kelly, Rockford, IL on 10/25/11Mark was wonderful as I worked so hard to finish College Algebra. His hours were flexible and because of his help, I not only got a final grade of A in the class, I got 100% on my final!
"First Lesson"
- Chip, Rockford, IL on 10/13/11My daughter was so motivated after her first lesson with Mark. He was patient, encouraging and just simply good with her. We will be scheduling further lessons with Mark.
Approved subjects are in bold.
Approved subjects
In most cases, tutors gain approval in a subject by passing a proficiency exam. For some subject areas, like music and art, tutors submit written requests to demonstrate their proficiency to potential students. If a tutor is interested but not yet approved in a subject, the subject will appear in non-bold font. Tutors need to be approved in a subject prior to beginning lessons.
Algebra 1
My completed College Math coursework (4.0 g.p.a) includes:
Basic Math
Introductory Algebra
Intermediate Algebra
Quantitative Literacy
Elementary Statistics
Algebra 2
I am an experienced teacher and tutor. I have worked with learners from 1st and 2nd grade to their mid to late 20's. Elementary Math, Reading, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry, College Basic Math, GED preparation, SAT and ACT Math, Algebra2 are all areas where I can help you or your child gain confidence and work toward developing content mastery.
American History
I hold a B.A. from Indiana University, Bloomington with a minor in U.S. History.
My completed college coursework includes:
American History I
American History II
American Social History 1865 to present
American Frontier II
The Presidents and the Press
Seminar in Women's History
Elementary (K-6th)
I have an Illinois substitute teaching certificate and NCLB (No Child Left Behind) highly-qualified Para-professional certificate. I hold a B.A. from Indiana University in English and an MA from St. Meinrad. For Sacred Heart Academy in Rockford IL I was a part-time teacher (Geometry and 3,4/5 Math) for two years. Also I was a long term substitute teacher for elementary, covering for a maternity leave.
Elementary Math
BA MA experienced teacher tutor
Geometry
Two years taught Honors Geometry
Long-term substitute teacher, Geometry
Prealgebra
I am an experienced teacher and tutor.
SAT Math
Taught Honors Geometry 3 years. Taught Algebra, Algebra II.
Special Needs
I have 4 years' experience working as a tutor, teacher and paraprofessional of students with special needs.
My experience includes working with students with emotional disability, AD/HD, learning disability and intellectual disability, autism, and developmental delay.
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Mark S.
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