Math Tutoring

Kelly & Grace – Cramming for Principles of Math 12

This is probably one of my most favorite photos.  Does it look natural to you?  Two of my favorite students studying for Math 12 with latte in hand… it’s a vision that puts tears to my eyes.  As you can see, modelling plays a huge role in student learning.  Thanks girls for looking so natural in this photo opportunity.  I hope that both Kelly and Grace do not mind that their picture is posted in this blog for the world to see.  By now, they have finished their undergraduate degrees and have moved on with their academic and/or professional careers as young adults wondering what they want to be when they grow up.  Both of them went into the Faculty of Arts.  Kelly graduated in Honors English at UBC and Grace was a pre-med student.  Math tutoring was one of the most fulfilling parts of my job as a high school mathematics teacher.  It is at this moment when relationships are built, trust is formed, and mutual respect is reciprocated 10-fold.  As much as I enjoyed teaching in the 4 block tumble of the timetable, it was the lunch time tutorials, after school help, and weekend math camps that made my job rewarding.  As an independent educational consultant, my new self-employed position focuses on two avenues I adored as a high school teacher: (1) teacher professional development and (2) math tutoring.  Last year I had delivered more than a dozen workshops to high school teachers about Assessment for Learning.  With that said, the math tutoring portion of my business is flourishing.  I love working with students one-on-one.  It has offered new challenges to my teaching practice as I try to cater the tutoring session to the learning needs of the student and attempt to figure out how to best fit our work with the work of the teacher.  Not an easy task but I love the challenge.  My inspiration for this blog entry is my gratitude to those individuals who have been recommending my services to potential clients.  My clients range from public school students, home school students, and adult learners.  My tutoring business has grown in the last year from a handful of clients to a few dozen per term.  As the school year ends, more phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages are received as I best try to accommodate all of the requests.  Thank you clients and those who are making recommendations for your vote of confidence in my abilities as an effective mathematics educator.  There is no question in mind that teaching mathematics is my passion.  I hope to one day return to a teaching or leadership position that involves mathematics education.  For now, my dissertation and service as school trustee call my name.  Guess what?  My research and school board work still involves mathematics, student learning, and teacher professional development.  It’s all good.

One comment:

  1. YH! I love it! It’s still one of my favourite photos!

    I’ll never forget all those hours in lunchtime tutorials. ALL the math. ALL the fun.

    I’ll also never forget to do things for the sake of learning and the goods internal – I believe someone wise once taught me that over lattés, lulu lemon, and math jokes…

    Your passion for learning and teaching emanates and affects in so many positive ways beyond an A+ in Math 12.

    Continue to have it all, YH! All of it.

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