Curiosity is maintained when we think we will learn a lot. All people experience pleasure when solving problems, and all people seek problems they can solve with an appropriate amount of cognitive work. They don't want it too simple or too complicated.

It's my job to create the appropriate conditions for problem solving, and I take create pride in creating those unique conditions for each individual I work with.

It is really frustrating when you feel like you can't solve a problem. This often occurs because you haven't accrued the necessary foundational learning. I find and address gaps in my students understanding so we can tackle the bigger problems once we're properly prepared.

People should know why they are doing things. Students should be curious about the world, and by extension, the justification for the processes they use to solve problems. They should feel pride that they understand and seek answers when they don't. They should push back when they think they have a better way and be open to discussion on how to improve process. This way of thinking will be invaluable once they are of age to contribute to society.

Humans, like computers, have to manage their working memory. Working memory is what we use for solving problems through pattern recognition. If we have all of the relevant “chunks” of information in our working memory, we are likely to put the chunks together to find the solution. The funny thing about our short term memory is that it is small! It's helpful to think of working memory as only able to store 3-5 chunks.

A student that makes a “silly” mistake often just has too much going on in their working memory. They either haven't built enough connection to foundational material or haven't employed the necessary note taking skills to ease the burden of their working memory. Through gap repair and efficient and readable notes, my students learn to manage their working memory so they can consistently feel confident in their solutions.

Math anxiety is a real thing. It's the fear of math, and it's a fear that can be managed. The best way to manage math anxiety is to practice evaluations. Evaluations are the best way to see if you understand a concept. They are also the best way to see if you can apply a concept. I help my students to practice evaluations so they can feel confident in their math abilities.

Testing helps us evaluate for readiness for progression. If we don't have tests, we can't say if we're ready to move on to subsequent learning or if we're ready to apply our learning in the real world, where the stakes are higher. You can prepare for tests by cultivating understanding and doing practice tests! I can aid your understanding with my tutoring, and I can help with your practice with by supplying you with and evaluating your practice tests!

When the primary goal of teaching is to pass a test, you lose sight of the goal of cultivating understanding, you focus too hard on remembering process, and you cheat the test's ability to evaluate for understanding. When students apply a problem solving process (like subtracting a value from both sides) to the wrong scenerio (e.g. one without a need to isolate a variable), it betrays their focus on test taking over understanding. What I've found is that students that focus on understanding can consistently match which problem solving process to appropriate solutions.

Educators must connect with their students on a real, human level. Students like when their educators seek to know more about their goals and how they relate to their interests and passions. Students like when their educators affirm their successes and gently indicate where they can improve. This is the type of educator I aspire to be every day.

When students ask me, “how do I do this?” I rarely give them a straight answer. This would be robbing them of an opportunity to figure it out. I give small reminders of things they already know and are relevant, or I demonstrate something similar. This way, students develop the confidence to derive solutions and new insight from within.

I use a video call platform similar to Zoom and I connect my digital whiteboard to the call. We both work from my whiteboard together. We work on the ability to verbally communicate ideas so that I can write them down on the whiteboard for us to see as we progress through math concepts and exercises.

I have two years of professional experience teaching in-person and at a learning centre helping with math, physics, chemistry, and english. I also have 5 years of experience working in financial technology industry, where I was a senior software engineer, and I still practice software development now. Before that, in high school and university I was the type of friend who was really passionate about learning math, always encouraging my friends to study and learn with me as we tackled.

I have also played years of competitive volleyball, soccer, and baseball which helps me bring a fun atmosphere to my lessons.

Subjects

Primary subjects

1. BC Mathematics 8, 9
2. Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10
3. Pre-calculus 11-12
4. Calculus I (Differential) [surveyed in Calculus 12]
5. Calculus II (Integral) [surveyed in Calculus 12]

I also cover SAT, AP, and IB curriculums for math.

I also help with…

1. Linear Algebra
2. Introduction to Probability and Statistics
3. Discrete Mathematics I & II

Skills

1. Critical thinking
2. Note taking
3. Pattern matching
4. Future (academic and career) planning
5. Emotional intelligence