Alyssa graduated with honors from Fordham University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Neuroscience. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. With a wealth of tutoring experience, including serving as a teaching assistant at the graduate level, she has successfully guided more than 250 students toward achieving their academic aspirations.
Recognizing the profound influence of the teacher's role, Alyssa is driven by the "ah-ha" moments she sparks in students. Witnessing them grasp concepts they once found challenging brings her immense joy. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring.
Alyssa is a friendly, dedicated, and easy-going tutor known for her expertise. While academics often demand seriousness, she incorporates fun into her sessions whenever possible. Alyssa advocates for active learning, emphasizing the importance of practice in mastering standardized exams. With over 10 standardized exams under her belt, she believes in the power of repetition to familiarize students with the various ways concepts can be tested, ensuring they feel confident and prepared on exam day.
Alyssa excels in providing students with innovative resources to overcome learning hurdles. She begins by understanding their interests, which enables her to create metaphors or pneumonics tailored to resonate with them. By incorporating elements of their passions into tutoring sessions, she effectively recaptures their focus. If one metaphor or example doesn't click, she readily comes up with another. In fact, she finds that the whackier the metaphor, the easier it is to remember. If metaphors don’t work, she switches gears to explore alternative methods of problem-solving or conceptualization. She firmly believes in the value of offering diverse approaches to tackle different topics.
In her free time, Alyssa enjoys training in the gym, doing yoga, karaoke, and playing video games!
Prior to attending the Duke University School of Medicine, Miriam completed her Bachelor of Science in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has three years of tutoring experience, including being a summer instructor for Breakthrough Atlanta, a CHEMpossible assistant instruction at UNC, and an anatomy and physiology supplemental instructor.
Miriam is passionate about tutoring because she believes in the power of education. She was fortunate to participate in several enrichment programs as a child, which nurtured her love of learning and boosted her confidence to pursue her dreams. She specializes in tutoring Anatomy, Physiology, Algebra, and English at any level, including AP, and ACT tutoring.
Miriam aims to empower students through one-on-one academic support. She believes personalized tutoring can be pivotal in helping students study according to their learning styles, tackle academic challenges, and build confidence in their abilities. When tutoring, one of Miriam's top priorities is helping students understand the reasons behind the concepts they are learning. Her typical session starts with a brief explanation of the topic, followed by practice problems to apply concepts. Each session ends with the student teaching the concept back to her, solidifying their understanding and confidence.
When topics are difficult or uninteresting, she finds it helpful to zoom out and show how the concept fits into the broader subject. She also makes connections to students' interests to increase engagement. For instance, she might relate physiology to sports for a student interested in athletics. Her tutoring style focuses on creating a supportive and interactive environment that allows students to thrive. She empowers students through active participation, setting achievable goals, and providing constructive feedback.
One of Miriam’s greatest strengths as a tutor is her encouragement and active involvement in student learning. She celebrates all their successes and supports them through any challenges. For her, tutoring is not simply about understanding concepts but about building foundational skills that can be utilized in all phases of learning. She excels at helping students develop effective strategies for approaching new concepts by adapting to their learning styles and preferences. She always gives 100% effort while providing holistic support, guiding study skills, time management techniques, and exam preparation strategies.
Outside of tutoring, Miriam enjoys running, weightlifting, reading, and doing Lagree. She has also been interested in language learning in the past, having studied German throughout middle and high school, earning a German language diploma. She even had the opportunity to attend college in Germany!
Sarah completed her Bachelor of Arts in Language and Cultural Studies and Plant Biology at Sarah Lawrence College. She boasts five years of professional teaching experience but began her tutoring journey early in her high school career, fueled by the gratifying experience of witnessing students grasp challenging material.
Sarah's enthusiasm for tutoring stems from her belief that any subject can be enjoyable when presented in an appealing way to students. She is proficient in a diverse range of subjects, including K–6 math, all levels of biology (including AP), reading, writing, English Language Arts (ELA), ESL, AP Language and Literature, creative writing, and SAT reading and writing.
At the core of Sarah's tutoring philosophy is the empowerment of students through consistent encouragement. She believes students have been programmed to fear failure instead of embracing it as a part of the learning process. So, she takes a unique approach by celebrating mistakes, considering them stepping stones for growth rather than obstacles. Sarah's adaptability in the face of these stepping stones shines in her lessons, where she breaks down complex problems into manageable pieces for better understanding. Beyond being informative, Sarah’s lessons are also highly engaging; she connects academic concepts with students' interests to keep them motivated.
Sarah is adept at guiding students towards becoming confident and independent learners. Instead of simply providing them with answers, she equips students with the tools and information necessary to independently solve problems, fostering a sense of self-assurance.
Besides tutoring, Sarah is deeply interested in plant biology. She even worked as a research assistant at the New York Botanical Garden on an algae-based project! She also enjoys reading, creative writing, and spending time with her cat, named President. When he misbehaves, she likes to pretend to be a member of the Secret Service—Mister President, don't climb on the fence!
Foundation Learning’s math tutors have teaching experience or hold a college degree in math.
Yes, parent involvement is always welcomed! Our tutors always aim to keep families and students on the same page to minimize confusion and maximize progress and open communication.
We pair students with their best-fit tutor using the information supplied in the intake form and input from families and students. Our math tutoring programs focus on rectifying areas where students struggle before helping them excel in key math concepts. Tutors are selected based on family/student needs, preferences, and goals.
The tutoring package best suited for your child depends on the level of support they need, what specific concepts they need help with, and the schedule that works best for you and them. Unsure how much support your child needs? Speak with us today to learn more about your options!