Brown Physics Grad with Experience Tutoring HS Math & Physics

Gillian F.

Hi, I'm Gillian! I graduated from Brown University receiving my M.S. in Physics with a 4.0, and graduated with honors from the National University of Singapore for my B.S. in Physics. I tutor mathematics and physics at middle school through college level, including calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, algebra and trigonometry, as well as mechanics/kinematics, quantum physics and waves & optics. I also provide test prep for SAT math and reading, and can tutor for other syllabi like IB, UK GCSEs/GCE 'O' and 'A' Level math and physics.

I previously tutored algebra for middle school students in groups of 5-7 from under-resourced backgrounds in Singapore. More recently, I was a graduate teaching assistant for Brown's undergraduate astrophysics classes, inspiring around 200 students to explore their interests in astronomy and leading a team of 7 undergrad TAs, for which I was the only M.S. student selected in a position reserved exclusively for Ph.D. candidates. Moreover, I graded undergraduate physics classes and finals for 3 semesters, and have received excellent student feedback throughout.

Math and science pedagogy has long been a special interest of mine, particularly as it relates to the building of instinctive, conceptual understanding -- what I call intuition for the subject. I realized this as a student when I noted that the areas I was most successful in coincided with the strength of my conceptual grasp of the subject matter, rather than just the absolute time spent on it. I'm convinced that a strong math and physics foundation is one-to-one with harboring a solid intuition, and enjoy helping students develop their own -- especially when they believe that "they're just not good at it". I want students to be comfortable asking questions regardless of perceived simplicity, because that is the only environment that's conducive to productive learning. Feel free to reach out with any questions!