Award-Winning Executive Functioning Tutors
serving Phoenix, AZ

The best part of tutoring is promoting students' long-term success through mastery of reading, writing, math, study skills, organization, and critical thinking. In particular, I enjoy helping students build test-taking strategies and core skills for the ACT, SAT, and other admissions tests. I also support pre-K and K-12 students learning math and ELA. Before joining Varsity, I tutored in a Reading and Writing Lab for university students with learning disabilities where I earned a College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) certification. Since joining Varsity, I have completed continuing education through the Lastinger Center for Learning. I graduated from the University of Arizona in 2021 with a BA in Cultural Anthropology. In addition to tutoring, I have worked as an instructional aide for an art program, an applied anthropology researcher, and a nonprofit program coordinator. Out of all these experiences, I enjoy tutoring the most. I look forward to working with you!

Hello! I am an Arizona State University graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Biological Science. My academic background is grounded in both technical problem-solving and a deep curiosity about how systems, whether digital or human, function. Outside the classroom, I've had the opportunity to work with students across a range of ages and abilities, from mentoring engineering and premed undergraduates at ASU to tutoring high schoolers in SAT/ACT prep, as well as K-12 students through Teach for America. I am comfortable with a range of subjects and am willing to work to meet your needs. Below are some of courses I have successfully tutored for in the past. K12 Subjects Elementary School (K5) Math (Basic Arithmetic, Word Problems) Reading & Phonics Writing & Grammar Science Social Studies Study & Organization Skills Middle School (68) Pre-Algebra Algebra I General Science (Life, Earth, Physical) English Language Arts (Reading, Writing) U.S. History & World History Intro to Coding / Computer Science High School (912) Algebra I & II Geometry Trigonometry Pre-Calculus Calculus AB/BC Biology (General, Honors) Chemistry (General, Honors) Physics (Conceptual, Algebra-Based) English Literature & Composition Essay Writing & Editing U.S. History & World History Psychology Economics & Government Health / Human Development Ethics / Philosophy Study Skills / Test Prep Standardized Test Prep SAT: Math, Reading, Writing & Language, Essay ACT: Math, Science, English, Reading, Essay PSAT MCAT (Content review & strategy) TOEFL / ESL (Certified ESL experience) AP Subjects AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics 1 AP Environmental Science AP Calculus AB AP Statistics AP English Language and Composition AP English Literature and Composition AP Psychology AP U.S. History AP World History AP U.S. Government & Politics AP Human Geography AP Macroeconomics / Microeconomics AP Computer Science Principles AP Seminar / Research College-Level Subjects STEM & Premed General Biology I & II Cell Biology Genetics Human Anatomy & Physiology General Chemistry I & II Organic Chemistry I & II Biochemistry Physics I & II (Algebra-Based) Calculus I & II Statistics (Introductory / Biostats) Humanities & Social Sciences Intro to Psychology Intro to Sociology Scientific Writing & Critical Thinking Medical Ethics Bioethics Philosophy of Science / Biology Research Writing & Academic Essays Business & Economics Intro to Macroeconomics Intro to Microeconomics Principles of Finance Financial Literacy / Budgeting Basics

Planning, prioritizing, and self-monitoring don't come naturally to every student — they're skills that can be explicitly taught. Cristiana breaks executive functioning into concrete habits: using checklists to initiate tasks, time-blocking to manage sustained attention, and post-session reflections to build self-awareness about what strategies are working. Her own experience managing a demanding dual-major course load gives her practical techniques to share, not just theory.

Hello! I'm an educator, researcher, and lifelong lover of literature, language, and the written word. I received my Bachelor's in English and Africana Studies from Brown University, as well as a Master's in English and Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Brandeis University. My academic and professional experiences have allowed me to develop a strong foundation in literary analysis, critical thinking, research, writing, and individualized instruction. I am particularly passionate about helping students become confident, thoughtful, and articulate readers/ writers.Throughout my academic career, I have worked with students across a range of ages and educational backgrounds. As a Graduate Research Assistant at Brandeis University and Learning Clinician at Lindamood-Bell Learning Center, I supported undergraduate-level academic work in courses focused on the humanities, developing my ability to engage students with analytical concepts and interdisciplinary approach.

I am a veteran college-level English instructor with more than 20 years teaching in person, hybrid, and online. My focuses are on expository writing, essay writing, research papers, and creative writing. With my background in linguistics and second-language acquisition, I can also provide understanding of how and why the English language works the way it does, both in terms of style and grammar. I believe in supporting people's learning from wherever they're starting and I will customize tutoring to meet your needs. Besides subject tutoring, I can provide support with executive functioning and study skills. Additionally, with a wide interest-base, I can help you with your writing in many disciplines, including APUSH, AP/IB Social Sciences, IB Extended Essay, CLEP, or College Admission letters.

I have over 20 years of experience in the education field and specialize in ELA for all grade levels including AP/Honors, college, ESL/ELL, special education and test prep. I also enjoy additional subject areas: assisting students with college applications and essay writing/editing, general homework in all subjects, executive functioning and preparing students for entrance exams (private school, ISEE, TEAS, or ELA section of the PSAT/SAT), college applications including essays and college or scholarship interviews. I hold a BA, M.Ed. degrees, certifications in teaching, Academic Coaching, and Tutoring. In addition, I have extensive training on working with students on IEP's or other educational plans. I focus on building skills through customized sessions. Thank you for viewing my profile, I look forward to working with your student!

Planning, prioritizing, managing time, and shifting between tasks — these executive functioning skills underpin academic success but rarely get taught explicitly. Derek tackles them as teachable skills, building concrete systems like task checklists, color-coded planners, and structured routines that students internalize over time. His doctorate focused on how curriculum design shapes learning behavior, which gives him a research-grounded toolkit for strengthening these cognitive habits.

As a tutor for 20+ years, I bring ample experience and knowledge. I specialize in standardized testing (MCAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, & more), medical school and pre-med courses, and undergraduate STEM subjects. A former medical school student and Master of Public Health, I opted for what truly brings me joy: tutoring, teaching, and guiding students to lifelong academic success.

Candice's Fulbright teaching experience in Taiwan and her years as a classroom aide and afterschool mentor gave her constant practice recognizing when a student's real obstacle isn't the content but the inability to start, sequence, or sustain a task independently. She weaves executive functioning strategies — like breaking a writing assignment into discrete stages or building a nightly homework launch routine — directly into the English and literacy work she already does with students. That integrated approach means kids practice planning and self-monitoring on real schoolwork, not hypothetical scenarios.

I hold a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in developmental psychology (with a focus on cognition) and a B.A. from Swarthmore College in theatre and English. I enjoy working with students who are looking to improve their executive function skills as a part of their overall goals for tutoring because I believe in a whole-self approach to time management and skill building. I also thoroughly enjoy tutoring in English literature, high school and college writing, organizational skills, and standardized testing. I've spent 15 years teaching high school English, public speaking, and written expression at elite independent schools, while moonlighting as a public speaking coach. My professional experience includes providing speechwriting and coaching for a now-US Senator during his first congressional campaign. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked as a director for multiple professional theaters, and my passions for English and Theatre converge in a deep love of Shakespeare. I love to talk about literature and dissect its craft in writing, and I believe everyone can write strong essays with the right coaching and framework.

Five years working specifically with students with learning differences taught Sydney where the real sticking points are — the student who knows what the assignment says but can't figure out where to start, or the one who chronically underestimates how long a reading response will take. She ties executive functioning strategies like task breakdown and self-monitoring directly to the English and Spanish coursework she also tutors, so students practice these skills on actual assignments rather than in isolation. Rated 4.9 by clients.

I am persuasive and capable of developing rapport and trust, as well as experienced in influencing the attitudes and ideas of others.

Allison's Master's in Education from George Washington University centered on instructional design — figuring out why information doesn't stick and restructuring the process so it does, which is essentially what executive functioning coaching requires. She applies that design thinking to help a student reverse-engineer a stalled essay or a missed deadline, identifying whether the breakdown was in task initiation, time estimation, or material organization, then building a repeatable system around it. Her broad teaching range across writing, math, and test prep means those systems get tested against real coursework, not hypothetical scenarios.

Rosie's graduate work in healthcare and her undergraduate finance training both demanded juggling complex, multi-step processes under tight deadlines — skills she now unpacks for students who struggle with planning, time management, and task initiation. She teaches across a wide range of subjects, from math to essay writing, which means she can embed executive functioning strategies directly into the academic work a student is already doing rather than treating them as separate lessons. That cross-subject perspective lets her spot where organizational breakdowns are actually happening and build practical routines around those specific friction points.