Hello! My name is Dan and I've been tutoring math for 8 years. I pride myself on being patient and providing my students with different ways to think about problems until we find the one that sticks b

Find out more about Dan

• 1) When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I have always loved math since I was a kid. I love doing math puzzles and learning new tricks. I took up peer tutoring in high school and immediately loved being an educator. I find it incredibly exciting and rewarding when students go from not understanding a subject to feeling fully confident within an hour. I'm not a full time tutor, I do it on the side because of how much I love it and how much pride I get in seeing my students reach their goals

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I teach pretty much all non-college math subjects (including calculus). While I had a combined major in math in college, I don't feel like an expert enough to tutor them. As for my favorites, I'd have to say algebra and pre-calc as those feel a lot like solving puzzles to me. If I had to pick, I'd say trigonometry is my least favorite since it feels less intuitive and can sometimes have more words than numbers. At the same time, I really enjoy all the subjects I teach because I feel like if your tutor isn't passionate about the subject, then how can the student feel motivated on the other end.

• 3) Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  Of course! My kindergarten teacher Mrs. Olsen inspired my to love learning as she was the first teacher I had that I really latched onto. My elementary school teachers Mrs. Lynch and Ms. Russo were also great influences and taught me how important the student teacher relationship is for inspiring the student and giving them a comfortable environment to thrive. In middle school I had my science teacher Mr. Braun, who showed me how a teacher's true passion for their subject is contagious and trickles down to the students. Lastly in high school I had Mr. Perico and Mrs. Rozell, who showed me how it's always important to challenge yourself and never accept mediocrity.

• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  I think tutors need to be passionate and patient. It's important to bring a positive energy to a session, but at the same time show your students that it's okay to get things wrong and not understand everything on the first go. Students seek tutoring because they don't fully grasp a subject yet, so a tutor must identify their struggle points and provide the student with different ways to get around them and solve problems. My students will never feel intimidated by me or feel like they can't speak up or ask questions. We are a team and should be working together to improve at math.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I use this story all the time with my students. I've always had a knack for math, so in school I usually had good grades and other students assumed I knew most of the answers. But when I would take tests, I would find myself looking at problems and not even knowing where to start, just like any other student. In these moments I would usually look around the classroom and think, "All of these students think I'm gonna be able to solve this problem, so I have to at least give it another try and look at it from a different angle". It wasn't every time, but usually on this second look I would be able to get started and eventually find my way through the problem.
  
  Now I don't bring up this story to prove that I'm gifted at math or that I always know the answer, because I know it's not relatable for a lot of students seeking tutoring. Instead, I bring this up to show the power of perseverance and belief in yourself. If I had accepted that I probably don't know the answer (like many of my classmates), then I never would have solved it. Instead I took a look around the room, a deep breath, believed in myself, and gave the problem another shot. My students don't need to get everything right, they just need to give their best effort on every problem.
  
  "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right" - Henry Ford

• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I still get challenged and frustrated as I do math puzzles every day. But just like my story in the classroom, I've found that the most important thing is perseverance and belief. I don't always get the solution to the puzzle, but you can be sure that I kept trying and did my best.

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  Math, puzzles, and teaching are definitely my primary passion as I find it to be the most rewarding part of my day. Outside of math, I love sports like baseball, football, and MMA.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof (besides answering this interview questions :-P)?

  I'm a Superprof because I work just as hard as (if not harder than) my students to make sure they reach their goals. I don't usually like to keep students beyond the hour (since there's more to their lives than just math), but I'll often spend time after the session completing problems and writing detailed explanations so they can view them afterward when they are studying on their own.
  
  Also, I will never get frustrated with a student for not understanding the material. In fact, I'm more likely to get frustrated with myself for not finding a different way to help them understand. I know that math is hard and not everyone thinks the same, so I try to present information in different ways to break through.
  
  Lastly, I'm a Superprof because I take my students from being scared or intimidated by math to being comfortable with it. If I'm your tutor, math won't be the hardest subject of the day or the period you wish you could go back to lunch. Math is hard! But it's not impossible and together we will make it a lot less scary.