Meredith

Certified Tutor

I firmly believe that ANYONE CAN EXCEL in mathematics! I believe in my students, and Id love the opportunity to help you believe in yourself (or your child in his- or herself) too.

Though I first began tutoring when I was a senior in high school, I have since gained formal teaching experience in Geometry, Algebra, and 7th & 8th grade math. It is with pride that I share I was the sole math teacher responsible for my school meeting the mathematics standards for 7th & 8th grade for the first time in ten years! As a military spouse, my teaching career met with some frustrations due to the short stays and frequent relocation required by my husbands work, and I now find satisfaction dispelling math phobia from the privacy of my own home while enjoying the flexibility of tutoring students in grades K-12 from all over the globe, and I have done so for the past five years. As a stay-at-home doggie momma, I have lots of availability to tutor during the morning, afternoon and late afternoon hours during the week.

Though I am competent to tutor any discipline of mathematics, Geometry is hands-down my favorite by virtue of its visual nature and all the fun, practical applications with which it is associated, followed closely by Algebra I & II. I have been told that my teaching style appeals most to students in grades 5-12, and I enjoy providing insights to students in these grades regarding career opportunities and the practical, real-world applications that exist for the content they are learning. I have the most experience tutoring these subjects as well as middle & elementary school math; these are where my strengths as a mathematics educator reside.

Although I should have studied mathematics from the very beginning, my first bachelors degree from Tufts University is actually in Classical Studies and Community Health. Following that, I attended Case Western Reserve University School of Law, which was NOT the right fit for me! However, the subjective nature of law and of law school taught me a new respect for mathematics and its objectivity; I find the fact that there are definite answers in mathematics at which you WILL arrive if you follow the steps correctly very comforting in this world of uncertainty. After law school, I returned to my love of mathematics, earned a bachelors degree in Mathematics & Secondary Mathematics Education, and later went on to earn a Master's Level endorsement in Secondary Mathematics Education as well.

My tutoring style involves encouraging students to share their questions, fears, and concerns about the problems they are encountering with their math in an approachable, relaxed, and sometimes even entertaining environment and keeping them engaged throughout the learning process. Using a series of leading questions, I like to draw them into the problem-solving process, enabling them to arrive at the solutions largely on their own. This has an invaluable impact upon bolstering their confidence in the subject matter as well as themselves. Not all students learn the same way, so I tailor my instruction to suit the variety of different learning styles of my individual students. To avoid the frustrated when am I going to use this? Im never going to use this! concerns students possess, I relate the concepts they are learning to real-life applications to provide context and help them see the importance of those skills. I like to challenge my students to reach their full potential: how will we know the greatness they are capable of achieving until we inspire them to try?