Math and physics tutor for High school and College

Karl D.

Hello! I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Liberal Studies and Minors in Applied Math and Physics. Over the last year, I have tutored everything from basic subtraction to Calculus 2 and Physics 1 (AP Physics). I've worked with over 50 different students, amounting to a total of 200+ sessions. While some of my students seek my help periodically, many of become semester-long tutoring arrangements. In addition to my core studies, one of my favorite courses was on the subjects of learning, memory, and motivation. I leverage those ideas as I work with students. As a testament to my focus on education, I’m also collaborating with a company to develop an online Algebra 2 course. As a result, I’m quite familiar with the requisite knowledge needed for state tests, national tests (SAT and ACT) and college-level coursework.

My approach when tutoring is to assess the student’s understanding of past and current subject matter to ensure understanding of key mathematical concepts. This is critical because I often notice gaps in important areas that cause frustration when solving a problem. I like to ask open-ended questions to gauge where my students are at, to get them to create or illustrate their process for solving a problem, to use specific math language to explain why that process works, and to ascertain what areas they do feel confident about. It’s common for me to take a step back and teach students algebra 1 or 2 concepts to solve a calculus problem. Once these get sorted out, students find they are stronger in math than they previously thought, which builds confidence and momentum to pick up other math topics.

Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you!