I hold a B.S. in Mathematics Education, earned summa cum laude from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and have spent over a decade helping students build real confidence in math — not just get through it. My teaching background spans secondary mathematics classrooms in hybrid virtual and in-person settings, adult workforce math programs, and one-on-one tutoring, including work with Art of Problem Solving curriculum and regular virtual office hours built specifically for individualized...
I hold a B.S. in Mathematics Education, earned summa cum laude from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and have spent over a decade helping students build real confidence in math — not just get through it. My teaching background spans secondary mathematics classrooms in hybrid virtual and in-person settings, adult workforce math programs, and one-on-one tutoring, including work with Art of Problem Solving curriculum and regular virtual office hours built specifically for individualized support.
My approach starts with the student, not the subject. In our first couple of sessions, I focus on understanding how a student feels about math — what's worked for them before, what hasn't, and where their confidence tends to break down — while still diving into real material right away. When a student gets stuck, I ask them to describe out loud what they think the problem is asking. Most of the time, math is really a language problem: once we translate it into plain English, the concept usually clicks.
I also address math anxiety directly, because it always shows up eventually. I explain that our brains react to a scary-looking problem the same way early humans reacted to a tiger at the cave entrance — instant fight-or-flight — and that in that state, learning simply isn't possible. Once a student can recognize "oh, this is just my tiger response," the fear loses its grip. I focus on ways to address that anxiety and move past it. I'd love to bring that same patience and approach to your student.
