Isabelle

Certified Tutor

I'm a current Physics/Math major and Philosophy minor at University of Maryland, College Park. I've been a TA for a philosophy of physics course, participate in gravitational wave research, and am currently in a fellowship researching physics teaching methods.

My tutoring methods are flexible and varied, including conceptual, quantitative, graph-based, and example-based solutions to problems.

- I like to draw short, conceptual practice problems from the book "Thinking Physics: Practical Lessons in Critical Thinking." The problems provide a similar difficulty and format to the multiple choice section of the AP exam. For each problem in the book, I have students practice different methods of reasoning through the problem, and give increasingly difficult related problems to strengthen understanding ("how would your answer change if the pulley had mass?")

- I write calculator software (TI-83/84) to assist students taking AP exams (yes, it's within the rules.) This is recommended for specific common problem types that a student continuously struggles on, such as banked curves or rolling objects, but is not a substitute for studying, since problem types are so varied.

For sat prep, I center lessons around identifying appropriate strategies on practice tests, since testing skills aren't properly covered in the free college board practice material. While I feel comfortable teaching basic math and grammar, I generally refer clients to books and free practice problems to build these skills between lessons.