Private Online Physics Tutoring: Tailored Support For Students

Samantha completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Florida, her Master of Education at Nova Southeastern University, and her Doctor of Education at Grand Canyon University. She boasts over 20 years of teaching experience: 10 years teaching secondary English for one of the 50 largest districts in the United States and 12 years teaching at the college level. She has created over thirty-five unique college courses, edited high school English test preparation textbooks for Barron's Educational Series, and has worked as a full-time staff writer for a newspaper. Her interest in tutoring stems from a profound belief in the transformative power of education.

Having been inspired by several exceptional teachers in her own journey, Samantha aims to pay it forward by acting as a mentor and guide for students. Her tutoring expertise spans SAT, ACT, and HSPT prep, as well as English, reading, writing, communications, ethics, and humanities.

Samantha's teaching style is highly personable; she values establishing relationships with students and conversing with them on a relatable level. Infusing humor into her teaching, she strives to create an engaging and enjoyable learning environment. Central to her teaching philosophy is the emphasis on connection, especially in subjects like English, which she believes can be easily connected to students' interests. By understanding students' interests, hobbies, and learning styles, Samantha ensures she can make connections to course content, even if it may seem dull or mundane, leading to those crucial "light bulb moments."

Drawing on her extensive education and experience, Samantha offers a nuanced perspective on learning and employs effective teaching strategies to help students achieve their goals. She excels at forming genuine bonds with students, providing them with agency in their learning to foster intrinsic motivation. Samantha's creativity shines through her ability to adapt to learning challenges quickly by presenting concepts in fresh and innovative ways.

When she’s not tutoring or teaching, Samantha creates art out of recycled beach debris, donated materials, trash, seashells, and just about anything she can find. She also loves spending time with her three dogs and husband, traveling (especially on cruises), and reading.

Richard completed his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Geography. Being the recipient of countless tutoring sessions himself sparked Richard’s interest in experiencing the other side of the learning process. He has several years of tutoring experience, including working at education centers and for a test prep and college admissions firm where he was a test prep tutor, college admissions counselor, and subject tutor. To date, he has tutored over 200 students. 

Richard's passion for tutoring is rooted in the satisfaction he experiences when seeing students make progress in each session. He finds immense fulfillment in being a part of this transformative process. His areas of expertise include tutoring for the ACT and SAT, as well as macro and microeconomic courses, including AP and IB.

Richard’s tutoring style is characterized by patience and a commitment to understanding each student's unique needs. He empowers students to reach their full potential by challenging them when they feel confident and providing encouragement when they are less secure. In times of insecurity, Richard supports students by methodically guiding them through the step-by-step process of problem-solving. This approach not only diminishes the sense of impossibility associated with the problem but also helps him identify the root cause of the learning block. Richard is also known to be kind and humorous, as he believes in keeping his sessions entertaining and productive.

Richard's tutoring is enriched by his personal experiences with the tests and courses he teaches. He shares his own story, empathizes with students, and adeptly places himself in their shoes. By incorporating students’ perspectives into his sessions, Richard recognizes that seemingly dull content can become interesting when aligned with the student's incentives. He also employs gamified motivation systems to maintain student engagement and facilitate a deeper understanding of the material.  

In his free time, Richard enjoys photography, urban planning, chamber music, and traveling. During his gap year, he worked at a vineyard in Oregon, volunteered at an English school in Morocco, and traveled to Spain, the UAE, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China!

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!