While I am new to this tutoring platform, for almost 20 years I taught Physics at the University of New Hampshire, where I created their active learning style "studio physics" courses. I was consistently one of the highest rated teachers on campus by students, and won the "Excellence in Teaching" award. Over years of teaching the intro Physics courses (1 and 2), I became very familiar with common student difficulties and developed strategies for resolving them. The two 200+ page workbooks...
While I am new to this tutoring platform, for almost 20 years I taught Physics at the University of New Hampshire, where I created their active learning style "studio physics" courses. I was consistently one of the highest rated teachers on campus by students, and won the "Excellence in Teaching" award. Over years of teaching the intro Physics courses (1 and 2), I became very familiar with common student difficulties and developed strategies for resolving them. The two 200+ page workbooks that I wrote for my courses (which are still used at UNH and other schools) are designed to specifically target the common misconceptions and difficulties students have.
My approach to teaching comes from my prior experiences with teaching martial arts while I was in college. In those classes, I would demonstrate a move and then walk around the classroom while my students practiced it, observing each student and offering individualized advice. And that is the same approach I use for teaching Physics. Whether it's learning to ski, playing the guitar, or doing Physics, the best way to learn is *not* to just sit quietly and watch somebody else do it. The role of the teacher isn't to just show off what they themselves are capable of - a teacher is there to be a guide, to figure out what each student is struggling with and provide individualized advice.
I have worked with students from the elementary school age up through college. Most of my work with younger students has been in teaching math, in particular through game-based learning. For example, I created a game that I have used to effectively teach algebra to 3rd and 4th graders in public schools.
I have been working in industry for a few years now as an engineer but have found that I really miss teaching. Knowing that I have made a positive difference in someone else's life gives me a sense of purpose. So, I'd like to put my extensive skills at teaching Physics to use through tutoring. But since I am new to Wyzant, I am starting with a relatively low rate.
