Common Core Math with Emily W.

"It's not about learning, it's about understanding." Hi! My name is Emily and I am 25 years old. I am originally from Massachusetts, where I earned my degree in physics at Boston College before moving to central Florida in August 2017. I took off with just what I could fit in my car and drove from Massachusetts to Orlando to try a new life on my own. Tutoring was an accidental passion that definitely saved me. I was messaged around midnight by a worried mother telling me her son received a 0 on his last chemistry exam, and that the teacher gave him a day to take it home to retake for partial credit. At this time I had been applying and applying to jobs with no luck so I jumped on the opportunity and messaged her back right away. The next night I was at their house for hours helping their son understand the material and retake the exam. He received the full partial credit on the test. After 1 more session with him the folllowing week, he had another exam. He received a 100%! His mother was in shock and at that moment I realized I had something special. I loved the nights we spent fighting through material just as much as I loved the nights where everything just clicked for him. Since then, I have tutored over 100 students in subjects including (not limited to) middle school math, pre-algebra, algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, college algebra, pre-calculus, liberal arts math, arithmetic, college calculus 2, college calculus III, biology, AP chemistry, AP physics, college physics, and test prep including SAT, GED, GRE, GKT, and ASVAB. I attribute my success to not focusing on memorization because problems memorized are problems forgotten! Instead, I teach the students how to teach themselves how to start a problem because even complex problems are just series of simple steps disguised by complicated word problems and extraneous information. It's not about learning, it's about understanding. So far I have been blessed with students who will openly tell me "I do not understand" which is an awesome thing to say! It gives me a great place to start: from the beginning. (It's okay if you don't say you don't understand...I will still know ;) ) Often students will just say they do not know how to start a problem, but this hides a deeper dependence on memorization and lack of conceptual understanding. The only way to teach true understanding is to let go of the conventional concept of memorization. Thank you for taking the time to read my bio and I hope to hear from you soon! Best, Emily