September 1, 2019

General Chemistry Tutor

The Benefits Of Having A General Chemistry Tutor

Chemistry is one of the hardest subjects. It’s one of the most popular and common subjects that we assist with at Tutor Portland. General chemistry concepts (in both college and high school) are challenging because gen chem forces you to think and understand what is going on. In addition, the subject is highly quantitative.

But the best students are able to weave in both a qualitative and quantitative understanding. This is something that I worked very hard at developing. I was always trying to understand big concepts. I figured that if I understood how the molecules were interacting and what was happening in the beaker, then I would do just fine on the exams. And that played out to be true. In chemistry, even highly quantitative problems can often be solved without crunching any numbers. If you have a really good understanding of the laws and properties of chemistry—and the definitions of the terms—then you can often figure out the answer to multiple-choice problems without using your calculator.

Challenges With General Chemistry In School

Another reason that general chemistry is challenging is that there is often intense time-pressure on the examinations. You might have two or three minutes per problem. And some easily require four or five. That means you have to use your time very wisely. You have to have calculated so many practice problems, that you are acting on muscle memory. When you see a simple problem, you don’t even have to think about it, you just start plugging numbers into your calculator instantly. And you can’t be slowly typing numbers in. You are *flying* through that exam.

One of the best tricks is to be able to answer some of the longer quantitative problems instantly without having to calculate. If you have a really solid understanding of the principles of chemistry, then you should be able to do this. While your friends are struggling to calculate these long problems, you will have moved on and will have more time to spend on other difficult problems. That’s why learning concepts is so valuable. 

Learning about the concepts of chemistry is valuable for other reasons, too. These are powerful concepts that you can apply to everyday life. They help you think about the world. They also help you ponder the world around you. It’s fascinating to learn about the autoionization of water. H2O is constantly changing form right in front of our eyes, switching back and forth between water, hydronium, and hydroxide. That makes you realize the law of imperanance—that nothing in life is truly permanent, everything is constantly changing shape. Things are unstable. When you truly feel and grasp this concept, you will have peace because it teaches you that there is nothing to cling to or hold onto. If things are constantly changing, it doesn’t make rational sense to try and cling to anything. Without clinging there is no attachment. Without attachment, there is no agitation. And without agitation one is able to attain nirvana. That’s one of the many connections between chemistry and Buddhism. Chemistry can also connect to investing. Just as water is constantly changing, so too is the stock market. Everyday “Mr. Market” comes to you and tries to offer you stock at a certain price. And all you have to do is wait. You can wait for the day when that price is low enough, and then you buy.

Other science courses also teach us lessons about life. For example, Biology teaches us about “fundamental” and “realized” niches. Fundamental niches are the total amount of space and resources that a species could possibly occupy. But no species ever realizes it’s entire fundamental niche. Species are only able to attain their “realized” niche. This is the same in your life. It has brought me a great deal of peace to realize that it’s natural that I won’t reach *all* of my goals. I won’t attain my entire fundamental niche. But I can attain my realized niche!

In addition, many species in biology are able to find co-niches. Instead of complete competition, they are able to live side-by-side and even benefit from each other. We can see this play out in life as companies compete with each other in the market. They often don’t entirely destroy other companies. Each company is able to carve out its niche. This is the same with people, too.

Other ideas in chemistry help us think about life. For example, we can consider how the ideas in bonding theory relate to our life. I like to think about how when a bond is created there is actually a decrease in potential energy, and the new molecule is more stable. This is one of the benefits that relationships and other people bring to our life. When we engage with intimate relationships and close friendships and family, our lives actually become more stable than they were before.

One huge idea in chemistry and biology is the old “structure and function” lesson. This concept says that the structure of something correlates very closely with its function. This gets very specific in subjects such as organic chemistry. The smallest changes in structure—the placement of an atom or even the 3D shape of something—can dramatically change its function. This can help us ponder our own structure. What are our strengths? What function in society would we be best suited for? What will my life look like at a certain school, job, or occupation? The structure of the day is so different depending on what you choose.

But most importantly, underneath all of this, chemistry is simply inherently interesting. It is fascinating to learn about these ideas. Still, even with the vast beauty of chemistry, it’s very challenging to convince kids and students to like it. It takes finesse. It requires good communication skills and an open, likable personality. You have to think about things from the kid’s perspective. How can you connect with them? How can you empathize with their life? Try to think, connect, and feel what might be going on in their life. Chemistry is probably the last thing in the world they want to focus on. I always thank my students and tell them: “I know that Chemistry is the last thing you want to be doing on a Sunday, so thanks for putting the time and effort in. It won’t be too long or terrible, and we’ll get through it.”

This builds connection and rapport. With that little sentence, you have separated yourself from teachers and other educators who only care about imparting their agenda. This sentence shows that you are actually taking an interest in *their* life and attempting to see things from their perspective. If you ever want a student to try and see your perspective on something, you first have to try seeing theirs. That is how you build a connection. And connection and rapport are how any great learning process begins.

Hire A Chemistry Tutor

If you would like to learn more about hiring a chemistry tutor, reach out to us here:

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Other General Tutoring & Help We Offer:

  • Spanish
  • Math
  • Pre Medical

General Help

September 1, 2019

Organic Chemistry Tutor Portland Oregon

Organic chemistry is widely accepted—and universally feared—as one of the most difficult and challenging college courses. It’s incredibly complex because of the sheer amount of content you are forced to learn in a short time. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of rules to memorize and commit to memory. One small mistake with these can cost you a significant number of points. But that’s just the beginning.

Organic chemistry is challenging because it requires you to think critically. Successful students need to have an understanding of a vast framework of conceptual ideas. They need to be able to visualize molecules and understand and predict entire reaction sequences in their head. Students are asked to do all of this while remembering thousands of rules, each with multiple distinctions and degrees of nuance.

Because organic chemistry is so hard, many of the teachers aren’t good at teaching it! This compounds the problem. Most organic chemistry professors aren’t good at explaining the difficult concepts they teach. Thus, many students struggle. And some choose to not take the class entirely. I’ve met people who chose not to become doctors, or who avoiding studying science altogether, because of their fear of organic chemistry.

People are right when they say: “you can’t wait until the last minute to try and cram and learn O chem.” It doesn’t work. There is a lot of evidence which shows that we learn better when force ourselves to access information more frequently throughout extended periods. And this is especially true with subjects like organic chemistry: courses which require you to synthesize vast bodies of knowledge and apply them in new ways to solve challenging problems.

When I first started studying organic chemistry, I purchased the textbook and spent all summer reading it. I even sat in on the summer lectures and absorbed everything I could. I didn’t always understand what the teacher was saying because the summer course moves very quickly and I was also a bit behind in my reading. But struggling to think about the ideas in the class was helpful. And I saw from a unique angle what core ideas were used throughout the entire course and thus would be very useful to know and understand well.

I realized that as with other subjects, it’s not about the number of resources you have available to you, it’s about how resourceful you are. Their resources are there. You can attend the O-chem course the year before you take the class. You can buy ten textbooks online and read them all. You can go to your professor’s office hours. You can find videos online. You can hire a tutor who works with you on an unlimited basis. The resources are all there. What matters is how badly *you* want to succeed. College is different from high school. In high school, the drive didn’t matter as much. You could get by

That being said, if you want to take your chemistry to the next level, we certainly offer organic chemistry tutoring here at Tutor Portland. I (Eric) do this tutoring myself. Since finding a good organic chemistry tutor is so rare, our rates for this are separate from our regular tutoring. Our organic tutoring is billed on a per-hour basis.

Organic Chemistry Tutor Portland Oregon

Having been through Organic Chemistry myself, I think that tutoring is a good option if the subject of chemistry is starting to make you feel stressed or if you are starting to fall behind. But I strongly encourage students to seek help as early as they can because organic chemistry is a very challenging subject to learn. It’s a difficult subject to learn if you only have a handful of days before your exam.

One of the biggest recommendations I make for any learning program is that students invest a little bit of time each day learning and working with the material from a subject. There is a lot of research that shows when students force themselves to access information on different occasions spread out over time, they learn better and have improved recall of the concepts. This is especially true with Organic Chemistry. This subject is no joke. There is a reason why everyone thinks it is so difficult. It earned its reputation for a good reason. You have to start studying early for Organic Chemistry. 

When I first started learning O-Chem I spent my summer studying the subject for 1.5 to 2 hours every single day. Before the course even started in the fall, I had already spent nearly 200 hours studying the subject.

My attitude was this: I don’t want to *just* earn an A in this course. I don’t want to *just* be top of my class. I want my professor to say, “this is the best organic chemistry student we have seen in fifty years.” And my work ethic backed this up.

That’s the type of work ethic and attitude I will bring to our tutoring sessions. I don’t just want you to pass organic chemistry. I want you to dominate the subject. And that is certainly possible. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication on your part, though having an experienced tutor can save you hundreds of hours. One key I learned is that some certain chapters and concepts repeat themselves. For example, when I was taking O-Chem II in the summer, I made a note when the professor said, “the acid-base chapter is the most important content in the whole O-chem series. It comes up time and time again. So make sure you know that stuff.” I took note of that and when I read the chapter I invested a lot of time into it.

That’s the way O-chem goes. There are some small concepts you think are nominal and not important. But actually, those might be the most important concepts in the entire course. That’s one reason why it is helpful to have a tutor guiding you in your studies.

Get Started

If you would like to get started with tutoring today, click the button below to schedule a free tutoring session:

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Pre Medical Tutoring In Portland Oregon (PDX)

If you want to become a doctor, your future likely rests on your ability to succeed in organic chemistry. Medical schools use this course as a test. They want to ensure that you can handle the rigor of medical school. Organic chemistry requires you to learn, synthesize, and apply vast quantities of knowledge and countless interweaving concepts. Having someone to help you is a *huge* advantage. If you’d like to schedule a session, please contact me personally: eric@mentorportland.com.

Additional Tutoring We Offer:

  • College Math

  • Spanish

  • Pre Medical

September 1, 2019

Tutors Portland, OR

How to find Tutors in Portland, OR

Finding a good tutor in Portland, OR can be challenging. Many families are looking for a great tutor who will come out to their home within a few days. Tutoring can be a time pressing issue. Grades need to be fixed quickly. Exams can’t be delayed or postponed. At Tutor Portland, we commonly send tutors out the very same day that people ask. But even we admit that finding good tutors is really hard. We have to interview scores of applicants before we find a good tutor. And we have long made it our internal motto that we would rather grow at a slower rate—and be limited by the number of great tutors we have—then grow at a faster rate by hiring mediocre tutors.

I think this should be your philosophy, too. It is better to spend time researching and finding a great tutor, than quickly signing up and accepting a mediocre one.

Portland, OR is growing incredibly quickly

Portland, OR is growing. Albeit, the rate of growth has cooled slightly in 2019 relative to the 2015-2016 years of rapid growth. But still, Portland, OR has been growing by well over 30,000 residents every year for decades. This has caused a strain to Portland, OR’s school system—and a rapidly increasing demand for educational services. Since the mid-2010’s Portland, OR has been growing at an average growth rate of over 1.0% per year. As far as population growth is concerned, this is an incredibly high rate of change. In fact, Portland, OR is growing twice as fast as the broader nation is. Still, the population growth doesn’t tell the entire story. Portland, OR has grown it’s GDP by 48% between 2001 and 2014. That is significantly more than double the rate of growth of San Francisco. This means that workers have been hard to find in Portland. This has increased the difficulty of finding high-quality tutors in Portland, OR.

How does tutoring in Portland, OR work?

Tutoring in Portland, OR is becoming more difficult do the increasing population density. Tutors have to travel for longer distances. And there are more students who need help. Portland has a shortage of workers. However, the few good tutors still remain in Portland, OR. It just takes time to track them down. Once you find a good tutor, you normally set an initial session or phone call with them. At Tutor Portland, we always offer the first session for free. The tutor comes out to your home and you get to see if it’s a good fit.

Most other tutoring companies provide an initial “free consultation.” Essentially, this is a free sales pitch. They come out to your home and try to sell you thousands of dollars worth of tutoring. That is how “tutordoctor” does it. We think this is sleazy and a waste of everyone’s time. Therefore, we decided to bypass this sales pitch. (Our founder, Eric Earle, hates hard pressure sales. He vowed to never let his company use those tactics. He thinks that people should be offered something—and, if they like it, they might decide to purchase it).

On top of that, most of the time tutoring is a time-sensitive issue. Families who are looking for tutors in Portland, OR, need to find them quickly—often within a day or two. That’s why we offer a free session. We don’t want there to be any barriers between you and homework help and exam prep. Just call us, and we’ll send a great tutor out to your home—as long as you are located in the greater Portland, OR area.

What subjects can Portland, OR tutors help with?

Tutors can help Portland students with just about every subject. Over the years that we’ve been in business, we’ve found that the vast majority of students need help in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Spanish. So we’ve chosen to hone in and focus on those. In addition, those are the subjects we’re best at. They are also the subjects that Portland, OR students struggle with the most. Every market and every city is different! But in Portland, OR that’s what students struggle the most with.

How much do tutors in Portland, OR cost?

The price of tutors in Portland, OR has a pretty big variation. For test prep services, tutoring can cost upwards of $300 per hour. Our subject tutoring costs around $100 per hour (as of 2019). There are certainly other cheaper options. Some people choose to use a family friend, or someone they found on Facebook or Craigslist. But the market for professional tutoring is expanding rapidly. We think this is because parents see the value in professional tutors. Families now view tutoring as one of the best investments they can make in their children—and we all know that children are the biggest investment that any family has.

When should I sign up for tutors in Portland, OR?

Families choose to sign up for tutoring at different times. Many families wait until their children are far behind before they sign up. This isn’t something that we would recommend! But often that is just the nature of the situation, and we understand. Many families choose to start tutoring before their child’s grade start to drop. This is a great idea because it ensures success and is more preventative. We highly, highly recommend this!

Families might also choose tutoring at different times throughout the year. Some families choose to start tutoring in the fall, and others start in the winter or summer. This is entirely up to you! We would recommend starting in the fall and working throughout the entire school year with a tutor. This provides the best results.

Why Tutor Portland?

Tutor Portland is unique for three reasons:

  1. We focus on active tutoring.
  2. We are a membership company.
  3. We hire hand-selected elite tutors. Most companies are focused on rapid growth and hiring any tutor they can get their hands on. We would rather grow at a slower rate and ensure that our tutoring is top notch. This means that sometimes we get so busy, we simply can’t offer our services to everyone.
August 28, 2019

Tutoring in Portland, Oregon

Finding good tutoring in Portland, Oregon can be a unique and challenging journey. This is because Portland has many different educational sub-systems to navigate. We are firm believers that good tutors know and understand how a given school system works. A tutor has to know how a school system works in order to best help a student.

Portland has seven different public school districts and a vast array of private schools. It also has many colleges, including Portland State University, which is located in downtown Portland, Oregon. With regards to primary and secondary education, Portland has seven school districts which include: Lake Oswego, Parkrose, David Douglas, Beaverton, Tigard-Tualatin, Reynolds, Riverdale, and the Portland Public School District. The latter is by far the largest school district. There are over 45,000 students who attend one of the ~ 100 schools in the Portland Public School District.

Portland also has many private schools, including Central Catholic High School, Catlin Gabel, De La Salle, The International School, and Oregon Episcopal School, among many others. Portland is also home to OHSU School of Medicine and Lewis and Clark Law School.

I grew up in Portland, Oregon. I attended a number of the Portland Public Schools, including Duniway Elementary, Sellwood Middle School, and Cleveland High School. I also spent some time at Central Catholic High School. Growing up in Portland taught me a lot about the Portland Public School system as well as the surrounding school systems. Now I own and run Tutor Portland, which is a local tutoring company serving a countless number of schools in the Portland area. We focus mainly on mathematics, science (mostly chemistry!), and Spanish. We focus on these because we have found through experience that these are generally the subjects that Portland, Oregon students struggle most with. They are also subjects which students can learn! And we’ve seen the biggest benefits when students reach out for help in these subjects. But, we’ve also learned that not all tutoring is created equal. We’ve discovered that often a college student with strong communication and psychology skills makes for a better tutor than a Ph.D. who has trouble explaining his or her ideas. The college student is likely more approachable. And if they are experienced at working with youth and have the ability to create rapport then that’s a strong foundation for a tutoring relationship to flourish. They also have to know and understand the Portland, Oregon school system—especially the school district within Portland that your child attends. Each district has different standards and programs.

Finding tutors who are knowledgable about the various different school districts and curriculums in Portland is not easy. Portland, Oregon is a growing city. There are more students needing tutoring—and more people claiming that they can offer it! How do you sort out a trustworthy tutor from one that doesn’t really know how to teach?

We like tutors who:

  • Grew up in Portland, Oregon and know the local school system
  • Have strong communication skills & understand human psychology
  • Are down-to-earth and approachable*

*This one is really important. Learning is really hard. Math and science are difficult subjects. The last thing you need is a teacher or tutor who is uptight and too serious. That makes these subjects even more challenging and frightening to approach. When the tutor is down-to-earth and relaxed, the student will naturally feel this and adopt this attitude. In addition, math and science are generally not the most important things in a teenager’s life. And that’s fine! Tutors need to be accepting and understanding of this. If they aren’t, if they try and tell students that math is the most important thing in life, the student will be off-put by that. This puts the learning relationship at risk.

In addition, *you* are likely getting busier and busier. Your kids do sports, your daughter has music lessons, and you have to drive them around all day. Traffic is getting worse. It takes hours to get across town. That’s why many parents find it hard to secure good tutoring. Maybe they think about online tutoring, but generally realize it’s not as high quality as in-home or in-person tutoring, and they can’t monitor what is going on during online sessions. That’s why many Portland, Oregon families ask about our in-home tutoring. This is a good option because we drive out to you. This allows your student to learn in the comfort of their own home. In addition, it is just simply convenient. You save time and money not having to drive your kids all around town during rush hour.

Many families are telling us that the current education their child is receiving is inadequate. Often they have a teacher who moves too quickly for their child. Many times these teachers are by-the-book and not very accommodating to students who learn math and science at a different pace or in another way. And less-than-stellar teachers are not the only thing putting downward pressure on Portland students. The Portland Public School system is also facing budget cuts and other funding pressures. To compound this problem, Portland has a housing crisis for many families. This means that many children go to sleep each night without a stable home to sleep in. Because of this, nearly 4% of Portland Public school students are deemed homeless. This puts pressure on all of the students in school.

One neat thing about the Portland Public school district is that they offer language immersion programs. The Spanish immersion is the most popular program and it is offered at ten elementary schools. The program is also offered at the middle and high schools that these elementary schools feed into. At Tutor Portland, we work closely with these programs and provide support for students who are struggling, and students who simply wish to excel.

Many Portland schools also offer International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. The IB program is run by a non-profit organization. It allows students to take more challenging courses and receive advanced credit for them. There are four different IB programs: Primary, Middle, Diploma, and Career-Related. These programs are offered at various schools throughout the Portland area. Some of the schools are: Lincoln High School, International School of Beaverton, Southridge, Tualatin, and Cleveland High School.

The Diploma IB Program is for high school students aged 16-19. Schools all across the world offer this program. There are six core subject areas within the program: Arts, Mathematics, Language, Science, Literature, and Societies. Each subject area has specific courses that fall within it. Many schools will let students take just a few courses instead of testing for the entire IB Diploma program. For example, it’s possible to just enroll in IB English, IB Science, and IB Mathematics. And we can help you with those subjects! We’ve done quite a bit of work helping students in these challenging IB courses and preparing for difficult IB and AP examinations.

We think that the IB Program is great because they focus on developing students who are:

  • Thinkers
  • Communicators
  • Principled
  • Reflective
  • Caring

Those are great qualities for students to have.

Portland Public Schools also have other programs, which many families voice concerns over and feel frustrated with. We listen to many complaints about the Common Core State Standards Initiative. The Oregon School Board of Education put these standards in place in 2010. The standards were placed in English and mathematics. The majority of issues families have are with the mathematics standards. Families are frustrated because the Common Core Standards and their corresponding teaching methods are different than they grew up with.

The standards outline different categories for students. For example, high school students are expected to learn and gain mastery over six different areas:

  1. Numbers & Quantities
  2. Algebra
  3. Functions
  4. Modeling
  5. Geometry
  6. Statistics & Probability

As a way to gauge success within the given categories, annual standardized tests are conducted for each child. This strong emphasis and focus on persistent testing of students has led to backlash and outrage across the nation and throughout schools in Portland, Oregon. Teachers have taken to the streets to protest the Common Core Standards and corresponding standardized testing.

However, there are some organizations that support Common Core. Notably, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports it. They support it because they believe that Common Core gives our schools a set of standards which help make our students competitive in the global economy.

Regardless of the perceived benefits or disadvantages of common core, one thing is clear: it can be tricky for families to navigate. That’s why we’ve found that having a tutor or assistant who can help you greatly improves student performance and reduces stress.

However, not all students fit within the neat categories or school districts. There are many students who choose to home school, at least for a few years. We have worked with a number of families who were deciding to homeschool their children and wanted to provide some structure to their day by adding an hour or two of tutoring each weekday. We have helped create custom learning programs for students in subjects ranging from mathematics, English, to Spanish. These students often see great results in their learning. They have the advantage of being more self-directed in their learning and more focused on mastery of subjects and ideas, rather than on simply earning good grades.

The legal requirements and standards for homeschooling in Portland, Oregon are pretty simple. The government simply asks that you register your child with your local school district service. This can be done online! Parents are given a lot of leeway with how they want to educate their children. Parents can choose what subjects they want their kids to learn and what resources they will use. Parents can choose textbooks, online resources, private tutoring, and online charter schools. There are many free resources to use! KhanAcademy is a great free tool.

There are a lot of different ways parents like to use tutoring. We have covered many different ways in this post. Sometimes families choose unlimited [or full time] tutoring for their children instead of school. This is common for parents who are homeschooling their children. Other times, parents use tutoring as an addition and boost to their current education.

Portland, Oregon can be a tricky place when it comes to navigating the local school systems and finding a good tutor. This is our specialty. This is what we do. Please let us serve you.

August 24, 2019

In-Home Math Tutoring

What is in-home math tutoring?

In-home math tutoring is one of the most common and popular types of tutoring for several reasons. In-home tutoring is incredibly popular because families love the convenience and lack of stress that comes with having a tutor come out directly to your home at a time of your choosing. Families have busy schedules these days! We get it. Everyone is packed full and overloaded. You simply don’t have time to drive all over town. That’s why in-home math tutors come to you! Another reason this type of tutoring is so popular is that math is one of the most difficult subjects for students to learn. Time and time again we see students struggling in courses such as geometry and algebra and trigonometry.

How does in-home math tutoring work?

In-home math tutoring is really pretty simple. The first step is scheduling your free session. That’s right, every first time Tutor Portland member gets access to a free tutoring session. You will have an initial phone call with our founder, Eric. In this quick free introductory call, we will cover all the details prior to the session. We will ask about your child and your learning goals. We will ask some initial discovery questions to assess where exactly your student is at, and what skills and tools will benefit them the most. Then we will pick a tutor who we believe to be the best match. And we will set a time for your initial free session. 99% of the time this first session is a good fit. And nearly everyone who receives the session signs up to become a paying member.

What is an in-home math tutoring membership?

An in-home math tutoring membership is something that we offer at Tutor Portland. Our memberships are designed to be incredibly customer-focused. Our mission is to be the most customer-focused company in the world. We believe in the customer. Our founder was tired of brands not treating customers right. He wanted his brand, Tutor Portland, to stand for something. And we chose to stand for the customer. That’s why our tutoring membership is flexible. You can cancel anytime. The sessions are yours to keep, they never expire. And the first session is always free. We also have a better grades guarantee. This means that for our top two membership tiers we guarantee that your child’s grades will improve.

We set up our membership this way because we realized that customers are the most important thing in the world. Your satisfaction means everything to us. The only reason that we are here in business is to serve you. Please consider letting us do just that.

Why learn mathematics?

There are countless reasons why it’s important to learn mathematics. Many students complain about learning math. They say: “when will I ever need to learn this?” I get it! I used to be one of those students. But there are so many jobs that require math. Here are just a few positions which are generally filled by mathematicians or which math majors are normally hired for:

  • Accountant
  • Biostatistician
  • Computer Programmer
  • Computer Systems Analyst
  • Doctor
  • Financial Analyst
  • Financial Manager
  • Information Systems Analyst
  • Insurance Underwriter
  • Inventory Control Specialist
  • Investment Manager
  • Market Research Analyst
  • Professor
  • Risk Manager
  • Securities Analyst
  • Statistician

These are some of the most common jobs you can get from learning math.

Two of the most common responses for why it’s important to learn math is because A) it can prepare you for STEM-related jobs and positions and B) because math is inherently beautiful. Some mathematicians have called these the classical reasons. These classical reasons are indeed very strong reasons to learn mathematics. But there are also other reasons why someone might want to learn mathematics. Learning mathematics can add to the diversity of your knowledge. Mathematics—especially ideas such as ratios, rate of change, and simple algebra concepts—can be used to think about our world in unique and compelling ways. Mathematics can make you a better person by giving you a mental framework to think about the philosophical problems of fairness and equity. In addition, learning mathematics will make you more rational and reasonable. It will help you see that most of life is statistics, it comes down to odds and chances.

What are Tutor Portland’s beliefs about math education?

Tutor Portland believes that mathematics tutors and teachers should take an active approach. Most students don’t do well at math because they aren’t interested and they are not engaged in the course. This is usually because the course is lecture-based and they fall behind in the course. However, small & active group work allows students to engage with others. Working with others allows students to attempt to put their mathematical thinking into coherent sentences. Normally, when doing this, students will begin to see the holes and gaps in their own learning and reasoning. They can then ask questions and try to dive deeper.

Therefore, at Tutor Portland, we take an active learning approach. We don’t believe in bland memorization of facts or rules. We want students to understand the rules. We want them to feel what a derivative is. To experience it. To know what it is before they are taught the formula. This type of learning is sticky. But it also takes more time to plan and more skill to execute. That is why most teachers stick to lectures and most tutors simply do low-level homework help. Creating a good active learning environment is really hard.

We also follow what is known as the peer-assisted learning approach. This approach is built upon research showing that students make the largest learning gains when they actively teach another individual how to complete or solve a problem. We, therefore, implement that into our tutoring. Once we have sufficiently taught a skill to one of our students through active learning strategies. We then employ peer-assisted strategies and have our students teach *us* the material. This does a number of things. First, it challenges the student because they have to become the teacher for a few minutes. Second, it shows us how much the student truly understands and where they might be falling short. And lastly, this strategy leads to the biggest learning gains.

What is active learning?

Most teachers and tutors believe that their learning environment is inherently an “active” one. But that is far from always being true. Active learning environments do not generally arise spontaneously or from chance. They need to be built, crafted, composed. Essentially, courses or tutoring sessions in which students only listen are the worst teaching methods possible. These lead to the lowest learning gains. Research shows that students need to think, discuss, write, and engage. They need to perform higher-level thinking: synthesis and analysis. Interestingly, students actually prefer to be more engaged—and they learn more when they are. That’s why we take an active learning approach with our in-home math tutoring.

August 22, 2019

Portland Math Tutors

What are Portland math tutors?

When your child starts to struggle in mathematics, complain, and bring home poor report card grades, the last thing in the world you want to have to focus on is re-learning mathematics and trying to teach them. Having the best Portland Math Tutors available at your door within hours can be a massive relief. Whether your child scored and B+ on a recent exam, or whether they have been struggling with and failing math all year long, Tutor Portland is there to cover for you and help your child start earning A’s again.

In a world that is increasingly being dominated by science and mathematics, the best thing your child can do is master those subjects, and we can help with that.

How do Portland math tutors work?

Math tutoring is simple with Tutor Portland. You pay a monthly membership fee in order to have access to a top hand-picked math tutor who comes out to your home for sessions at a time that is most convenient to you.

If your child is wanting help with homework, preparing for a quiz, or learning conceptual math problems, just give us a call and we can set up tutoring. With our monthly memberships, you can rest assured knowing that a math tutor is always available for you. Most families to choose to pick one tutor and stick with them. Together, they find a weekly time and meet every week to work on homework, higher-level thinking, and general study strategies.

You are only responsible for making sure your child is fed, ready, and prepared for the tutoring session. We will cover everything else! We know how challenging it is for parents and family members to try and tutor each other. We have heard countless stories about this not working out. That’s why many families choose to leave their tutoring up to us!

What topics do Portland math tutors cover?

Portland math tutors cover a variety of topics. This includes algebra, geometry, calculus, and other concepts and courses your child might be taking. We have different membership tiers, which allow you to focus on any of these subjects for a certain number of hours per week. We are proud to offer an unlimited membership, which means that you can do as many tutoring hours as you’d like or as many as you can schedule. With this, there are no limits to the amount of tutoring that we can do. There is also no limit to the concepts or topics we can cover.

What’s Covered:

  • Arithmetic
  • Pre-Algebra
  • Algebra
  • Functions
  • Modeling
  • Geometry
  • Statistics
  • Probability
  • Pre-Calculus
  • Calculus
  • Trigonometry

How much do math tutors in Portland cost?

Hiring math tutors in Portland can range in price depending on your location, zip code, travel distance, subject, and more. Usually, tutors who teach more challenging subjects charge more than those who teach foundational material. Some organizations offer group tutoring. At Tutor Portland, we focus on individualized personal tutoring. We charge a monthly membership fee based on the number of sessions (hours) that you want to use per month. We believe this makes tutoring simply and more accessible because the rate is standardized regardless of where you live or what subject you need to learn. This allows you to efficiently budget for your children over the course of their academic career. To look up more information about our pricing, you can visit our membership page to see what each different membership tier costs.

When should I get math tutoring for my child?

This really depends on you, your situation, and your goals. We recommend math tutoring first and foremost if your child is struggling with math or if they don’t enjoy math. These two things often go hand-in-hand. People don’t like math because they are bad at it! Normally, once students start tutoring they get better at math and start to really enjoy it.

We also recommend tutoring for students who want to stay ahead of the curve. Many families today realize that college is getting more and more competitive. They are also discovering and reading about how the best careers often involve science, technology, and mathematics. Therefore, we’ve worked with many families that want to simply keep their kids ahead of the curve—and ensure that they are really mastering the material.

Some families even ask for tutoring for their kids who are very gifted at math. Often times they will ask for help preparing for an AP or IB examination. Other families have asked us to help prepare their kids for the SAT, SSAT, or ACT.

Why are math tutors important?

Math tutors are becoming more important for several reasons.

  1. With the increase in technology, students today are having trouble focusing. This is hindering their ability to learn mathematics. Some research has found that calculators and other technology are reducing children’s mathematical reasoning ability and conceptual understanding. Research has found that high-tech classrooms equipped with “interactive whiteboards” actually decrease a student’s math performance. In addition, mathematics learning software has been shown to have no benefit on student’s standardized test scores. One thing is clear: learning math the old fashioned way is what works. Learning math should be hard. It requires hours of sitting in front of a math textbook and working on it. Tutors can help explain some of these difficult ideas and get students working in the right direction.
  2. Colleges are getting more competitive. It takes higher math, science, and SAT scores to get into the top colleges these days. We can feel the rising stress among families even just since 2015 when we were started our local tutoring company. Acceptance rates are falling across the nation. Standardized test scores are inching higher and higher. Colleges such as Harvard reject students with perfect SAT scores year after year. Many students are now using the common application, which lets them hedge their bets and apply to more and more schools. In order to boost their children’s grades and mathematical understanding, many families are hiring tutors.
  3. All of the top students are working with tutors. This is causing the best students to pull further and further ahead from the pack. That’s one reason why it’s becoming more and more difficult for average good and great students to make it into great colleges. Top students are highly adept at mathematics. In addition to this, they are highly skilled in writing and English. This shows that they are well-rounded. This is why many parents are hiring subject tutors for various subjects.

What math courses do colleges expect you to have taken?

The majority of colleges expect students to have taken at least 3 years of math in high school. Many expect four years. At Tutor Portland, we highly highly highly recommend that students take four years of high school math. Colleges officially say that they don’t require it. But four years of math is largely accepted—and three years are often frowned upon by the admissions team.

Top schools also expect advanced courses such as Honors, IB, or AP mathematics. For students who want to become doctors or pursue other STEM degrees or programs in college, it is highly recommended that these students complete 4 years of advanced high school math with excellent marks in those courses. This will help set your child apart.

There are three different AP math courses offered to high school students: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and AP Statistics. You can learn more about AP Exams and how they are graded here.

However, across the board, geometry and algebra are the bare minimum courses that need to be completed in order to graduate from high school. The vast majority of states have adopted the common core curriculum and standards, which were discussed earlier in this article.

Most high schools follow this progression of courses:

  1. Algebra 1
  2. Geometry
  3. Algebra 2/Trigonometry
  4. Pre-Calculus
  5. Calculus

Many students will commonly stop at pre-calculus. And this order is not the same at every school. There are some schools in Portland that teach geometry first and then algebra 1 and 2 following that.

Many students believe they will never need to use mathematics, so why bother studying it? And, at first glance, that appears to be true for people studying the humanities. Why do English majors need to know algebra? But these days colleges are realizing the value of having strong interdisciplinary students on their campuses.

Why should I choose Tutor Portland?

Tutor Portland is a local tutoring company that time and time again has gotten results for students. We take our clients very seriously and want to ensure that they have an incredible experience with us. And we will do whatever it takes to make that happen!

What makes Tutor Portland unique is our focus on active tutoring. We believe in having engaging tutoring sessions. Learning should be dynamic. That’s why we focus on active learning strategies which are based on research and have been proven to drive learning results. There is a lot of recent research on math and science education. The data clearly shows that students learn mathematics when they attempt to verbalize their mathematical reasoning and thinking. This helps them realize what they know, think through challenging concepts, and fill in gaps in their own mental models. That’s why we take an active approach. We ask questions which get students thinking and which nudge them to explain their mathematical reasoning.

August 19, 2019

Home Tutor for Spanish

There are numerous benefits to having a home tutor for Spanish. Many students fall behind in their Spanish courses. This is very challenging because Spanish is a cumulative subject. In addition, once the teacher and class begin speaking entirely in Spanish it is nearly impossible to continue learning anything if you are behind. Spanish teachers naturally focus on the most gifted students, compounding the problem.

Spanish is one of the hardest languages to learn. Spanish is uniquely challenging when students fall behind because the course is conversational in nature. This causes extreme embarrassment. If a student doesn’t understand the material, it is readily apparent to everyone.

I remember when I was trying to learn Spanish. I was way behind everyone else. I had no idea what was going on. And it showed. To compound this problem, my accent was terrible. It sounded like the classic white-American version. Other kids laughed at me and teased me because. This decreased my desire to participate and learn. And this caused me to do even worse in the course! I even stopped attending many of the classes because I couldn’t stand the continual rounds of failure and embarrassment.

The Benefits of a Home Tutor for Spanish

Wow! How I wish that I would have had a home tutor for Spanish. That would have been so helpful. I could have practiced with my home tutor and learned Spanish in a safe and protected environment, before having to venture out into class to test my newfound skills. That’s why I think having a home tutor for Spanish is uniquely important. It can help students boost their confidence at a skill that inherently leaves people vulnerable. Students need to feel safe when they are learning. That is a core need that needs to be met for learning to place. But many students simply don’t feel comfortable in a traditional Spanish classroom. That’s why having a home tutor for Spanish can be an excellent supplement to traditional methods of instruction.

The bottom line is that learning any foreign language is extremely challenging. Sometimes students need every advantage they can get. A home tutor for Spanish can provide the following benefits:

Personalized Education

Decades of research shows that who you are influences how you learn languages. There are several factors that influence a person’s ability to successfully acquire a second language. A student’s attitude and motivation are paramount in learning. In addition, a person’s cognitive style, age, and personality all play key roles. This is one key reason why hiring a home tutor for Spanish is so important: they can help you create a customized personal learning program that suits your learning needs and strengths best. Having a home tutor allows you to leverage your strengths and skills. 

A lot of classroom-based learning fails because learning a second language is such a personal thing. How you learn depends on your personality. In most courses, this hinders learning. One-on-one home tutoring changes this.

Develop Spanish Speaking Skills

Learning to speak Spanish is arguably the most vital skill a student of the language can possibly develop. You simply have to be able to speak the language to improve at it. There are many factors at play here. Learning strong oral communication skills requires the ability to listen to and accurately hear the right words. Students then have to be able to quickly formulate a response, and then be able to articulate it. Often, the biggest barrier to being conversational in Spanish is lacking the proper accent. Mispeaking words by even a small amount can change the entire meaning of the sentence.

If you or your child is enrolled in a large Spanish class, the small errors that they are making either go largely unnoticed by the teacher. If they do notice, they likely simply don’t have the time or energy to correct them. Working with a home tutor for Spanish is one solution to this problem. A home Spanish tutor can focus in on the student, effortlessly hearing these small errors, and swiftly moving to correct them. These errors in pronunciation can be corrected through practice and focus and through correct modeling.

Increase Listening Comprehension

Most Spanish courses work by teaching students sets and chunks of words. They teach students large lists of vocabulary words. They also teach students verbs that pair well with them. Then they work on constructing sentences, paragraphs, and longer blocks of text and speech.

But this isn’t how conversation works. Conversations are fluid. Native speakers don’t learn Spanish the way we do. Speaking Spanish naturally is more complex and nuanced than the simplified versions packaged for us nicely in school. These are good introductory building blocks to learn. But they never help you truly master a language. Mastery comes through practice. That’s why speaking with conversational partners is one of the most valuable things you can do to learn Spanish. Home tutors are great partners because they speak Spanish fluently and are also well-versed in teaching, communication, and psychology.

Improve Spanish Accent

Most American students develop a really bad, unnatural sounding Spanish accent because they are never taught the proper way to speak. This has undoubtedly caused a lot of pain, embarrassment, and frustration over the years. However, rest assured, there are a few tricks you can learn in order to improve your Spanish accent. Many of these skills and tricks a home tutor could help you with.

One important thing is to learn how to correctly pronounce vowels. Most teachers gloss over this or move too quickly past it. But these are vitally important to learn! Another Spanish accent trick is to learn and speak your “T’s” and “D’s” more softly. Many Americans speak the “T” very harshly. This is done by placing the tip of your tongue on the tip-top of your mouth. However, most Spanish speakers don’t speak this way. They speak their T’s much more softly. They usually place their tongue on their front teeth, soothing the sound. There are countless little tricks like this to optimize. That’s something they certainly never taught me in class!

Learn Important Spanish Verbs / Verb Conjugations

Not all verbs were created equal. In fact, each level of Spanish that is taught in school has certain verbs which are critically important to master. For example, in beginning Spanish, some of the most important verbs to master are Ser and Estar. These verbs also become more nuanced as you move into higher levels of Spanish. Tener and Haber are also really important verbs to know.

And just as important as learning the verbs themselves is to be able to conjugate those verbs effectively and efficiently. Actually, most courses take the approach that in order to learn Spanish students simply need to memorize long lists of verbs. And so students begin to believe that they need to memorize all the verbs before they can start “truly” speaking Spanish. But this is false. It’s actually more important to be able to use (conjugate) a few key verbs extremely well and accurately than it is to memorize hundreds of verbs that are rarely used.

Learning Spanish Benefits the Brain

There is a lot of research being done these days on how the development of a second language impacts brain function. Studies show that people who are bilingual are better able to focus on assignments and tasks. They have higher levels of concentration and a better ability to focus in on the important details of what really matters. In addition, they are also better able to switch *between* tasks and are thus better at multi-tasking and synthesizing together ideas from different fields. People who are bilingual have also been shown to have better decision-making skills. They make more rational choices. They also have better stronger memories. They are better able to accurately recall information. People who are bilingual also have a decreased risk for developing dementia. Fundamentally—the research is clear—learning Spanish is good for your brain. It will help you succeed in all of your other subjects. No subject exists in isolation. These are some of the indirect benefits you or your student can gain from hiring a home tutor for Spanish language acquisition.

Improve Your SAT and ACT Scores

I know, it sounds crazy—right? You are probably thinking, Eric, last time I checked Spanish wasn’t on the SAT! You’re right, of course it’s not! Still, the research is clear: learning Spanish helps improve SAT scores and a student’s overall ability to score higher on any standardized testing. This is because a significant amount of evidence shows that learning a foreign language will actually improve a students English. Other studies and suverys have found that bilingual students have higher science exam scores and generally develop a better understanding of mathematics. This illustrates that all courses are connected. Learning one subject will help your child develop the skills to succeed in another.

These have been just some of the benefits that can come from hiring a home tutor for Spanish. There are countless other benefits that come from working with a one-on-one tutor for Spanish. If this is a subject that you or your student is struggling in, then home tutoring is something you might consider. Another reason might be if your child is simply curious about Spanish and wants to learn it. Or it might be that you think Spanish will be a great subject for them to know someday. These are all perfectly great reasons for you to encourage home Spanish tutoring for your child.

August 18, 2019

Tutors In Portland, Oregon

Are you looking for tutors in Portland, Oregon? The first step in looking for tutors in Portland is to know exactly what type of subjects you are interested in and also what goals and objectives you would have for any tutoring program. Portland has a very diverse set of schools and curriculum. In addition, there are many different types of tutors and tutoring organizations in Portland.

Different Options for Findings Tutors in Portland, Oregon:

1. You can always find a tutor on craigslist. This is a great idea if you are looking for a low-cost tutoring method. This is a more involved process because it would be a good idea to meet with the tutor before you have them work with your child. It would also be smart to test and see how well they know the given subject. Normally, I would only recommend working with someone off craigslist if you can verify they have a track record of successful tutoring experiences. You can also find a tutor on a website such as care.com. However, it would be smart to do your due diligence here as there have been some recent media articles highlighting concerns with care.com.

2. You can find online tutors. Online tutoring is always an option. There are many good options for this. Varsity tutors has online tutoring available. There are also websites like Wyzant. I know people who have tutored for these organizations. However, even with the rush towards everything online, most families that I know still prefer to have tutoring happen in-person. I prefer it for myself, too. I’ve been studying a lot of organic chemistry recently because I am applying for medical school soon, and I personally use in-person tutors here in Portland, Oregon when I need help. It feels so much more tangible and real and dynamic to have a tutor who is there with you in-person.

3. Another option is to find a local tutoring company. I like local tutoring companies because they are normally founded by someone who is originally from the area and knows the different local school systems. In addition, smaller companies just make sense when it comes to tutoring. I think the entire problem with education is that it has become too commercialized and too mass-market. Classroom sizes are too large. The curriculum is dictated by “common core standards” and students are taught and tested based on standardized metrics. I think that smaller, local tutoring companies are better able to customize and tailor specialized learning programs for individual families.

Other Factors to Consider When Looking for Tutors in Portland, Oregon:

Aside from where to find a good tutor, there are many other factors to consider when looking for tutors in Portland, Oregon.

1. It’s important to think about the tutor’s long-term plan and goals. One big complaint that we hear all the time from families is that they have trouble finding a reliable tutor in Portland. This is because tutoring is normally a short-term part-time job. This is because tutors are normally younger, and often still in college. There is some work that needs to be done here because often times college students make great tutors. These tutors are down-to-earth and relate very easily to students. We have found that they key distinction is determining the motivations of the tutor. We search for tutors who are motivated intrinsically to teach. We want tutors who are passionate about their subject and will go above and beyond to make sure the message gets across. We are not interested in tutors who just view tutoring as a job or as a way to make some money. These tutors are unreliable and more short-term in nature. We have discovered through experience that tutors who are passionate about their subject and about teaching tend to go the extra-mile and stick around for many years.

2. Look for local tutors!!! We cannot stress this enough. We have learned over the years that local tutors are effective because they grew up in the area and often attended some of the local schools. This means that they are likely to have connections with local teachers and within local school systems. But even more importantly, they understand the local standards and curriculum. This is important because expectations for students vary by state, city, and even school districts. For example, not all states use common core. But school districts within Portland, Oregon use the common core standards heavily.

3. Find tutors who are passionate about education and who stay up to date on the most recent trends in education. This is incredibly important. Education is changing all the time. We read about different states changing their education standards nearly every year. Within any given year it is common for 10+ states to change and adjust their mathematics or reading standards. The bottom line is that education is changing all the time. For example, New York recently reported that they will be moving away from the common core standard and towards a “next generation” learning standard. At Tutor Portland, we are constantly researching what might happen next with regards to the state of education in Portland, Oregon. We are on top of this so that you don’t have to be. We do it because we love this stuff! Education and learning are fascinating. And we want to do our part to make learning more accessible to all students.

Finding Tutors for Students at Portland Public Schools (PPS):

Some families aren’t a fan of Portland Public Schools. And we get it. Any public school system is bound to have some problems and issues. But there are several things that PPS does very well. Expert tutors (often local tutors) know and understand well how to work within the Portland Public School system in Portland, Oregon. PPS publishes many tools and resources for students, families, and educators on their website. For example, Portland Public Schools mandate that all teachers publish their syllabi online in an easy to find and read format. Tools like these help students and parents. They also help tutors who are better able to track a student’s progress and help them over the course of the school term.

Tutors for Private Schools in Portland, Oregon:

There are many great private schools located in Portland, Oregon. Some of them have their own tutoring on staff. And others offer tutoring to their students for an additional fee. But we have found that many private schools don’t have tutors available, or the ones they do aren’t satisfactory. Private schools in Portland, Oregon definitely have different standards and expectations than the Portland Public School system does. So when you’re for tutors in Portland it’s a good idea to find tutors who know the local area and understand the differences among the schools here. And the differences between the private schools here are pretty found. We like this guide as a breakdown of the top 20 private schools in Portland, Oregon. As you can see, these schools have a wide variation in their “grade” or ranking, and also in their cost.

What are some of the top private schools in Portland? There are smaller schools located in downtown Portland such as the Northwest Academy. Oregon Episcopal School, OES, is a very well known and highly regarded school in Portland. We have tutored a number of clients at OES, and have often donated to their school auction in previous years. There is also All Saints School, which is located in inner SE Portland. We have also worked with several families who have students attending La Salle Catholic College Prepatory School. La Salle is a co-ed roman catholic school. There are countless other private schools. They all have a slightly different way of running their schools and their academic departments. They have varying educational standards and they teach some of the core subjects like math and science in separate ways. Looking for a private tutor who understand these differences is a very wise choice!

Finding Tutors in Portland, Oregon for a Homeschooling Program

Homeschooling in Oregon is a pretty straightforward idea to get started with. Legally, the barriers to entry for a parent to start their child on a homeschooling program are pretty low. You simply need to register your student with your local ESD. You can do this by sending the ESD a simple letter stating your intent to enroll your student / child in a home learning program. You then have free range what you wish to teach your student. However, this is the bare minimum that you should do. Most parents attempt to find activites and chances for interaction and collaboration for their child. We have had several families, therefore, ask us about creating programs for their children who are being homeschooled. Often the student will spend the first part of their day reading and involved in self-directed learning. This means that they are engaged in their own learning and focused on things they are intrinsically motivated to learn and improve at. As the day progresses, the parents may want them to take some formal lessons. They might take their child to music lessons. There is one program we like a lot called Trackers Earth, and many parents choose to send their children there to learn great skills such as blacksmithing, animal tracking, and a wide variety of other cool and useful outdoor skills.

Often families then have a tutor come in for a few hours per day. We normally assist with subjects like reading and mathematics because these can be challenging subjects to master for some students. Normally, families that are homeschooling choose to opt for our Unlimited Tutoring Membership. Essentially, this is exactly what it sounds like. We have a no-limits approach to tutoring and to the time we can spend with your child. We have always had this as an option since we were founded right here in Portland, Oregon in 2015 – by me, Eric M Earle, a proud Portland native.

Finding Tutors in Portland for Other Programs

There are many other learning and educational goals that can be assisted through the use of an in-home tutor. For example, we have a specific math tutoring program for families who are located in Portland, Oregon. This is our most commonly used program because – let’s face it – math is hard! We have found it is one of the subjects that students most benefit from having help with. Having a math tutor is a big boost!

Another popular program is our pre-medical program. This program is geared towards seniors in high school as well as college students or post-graduate students. We focus on several things in this program. We have a core curriculum that includes intensive tutoring for any math or science courses. We focus primarily on these courses because mastering the concepts in these courses is critical for successful applications to medical school. It is also critically important to earn high grades in these courses. We do not accept anything less than an A. Neither should you. On top of this, we also assist with English, Sociology, Psychology or any other courses that your student might be enrolled in because these are very important, too. And they are becoming increasingly more important with each passing application cycle. In addition, we also help with overall strategy for acceptance into medical school. We help students focus on their purpose and their mission. This focus is *critical* for acceptance into great medical schools. We assist, therefore, with overall game plan and strategy. What jobs should I work? What type of volunteering should I do? What type of reflective writing should I do to start preparing for my medical school applications? We help with all of this and so much more.

We also have specific programs which have been created and shaped for each grade level: high school, middle school, and elementary school. We also have a program for adult tutoring. In addition to these age-specific programs, we also offer summer tutoring programs.

Thanks for much for choosing to read through our website and for your time reading this article. We really appreciate you and we would love to have the opportunity to serve you. We focus on being the most customer centric tutoring company ever known! It is our mission to serve you – to make sure that you are happy and fulfilled and that you are confident in the future of your child. We know that children are the most important and precious things in the world. We treasure that special relationship. And we work very hard to ensure academic success for even the most challenging and difficult circumstances. Thanks! We hope you are having a fantastic day.

Enthusiastically,

Eric M Earle

Founder and Owner, Tutor Portland (est. 2015)

July 25, 2019

Portland Math Tutor

Portland math tutor

The Benefits Of Hiring A Portland Math Tutor

Only around 25% of children in America are meeting the standard proficiency levels for math. Parents with children who are struggling to keep up in their math classes know firsthand just how frustrating it can be for both themselves and their children. At first, most parents take the approach of helping teach their children alone. Unfortunately, this is not always the best approach and most parents can only help so much because of their limited knowledge. It takes more than know-how to effectively teach a student properly.

The solution to a struggling student is to hire a math tutor in Portland. There are many benefits of offering the gift of a personal tutor to your child when they are struggling in their classes. If you are on the fence, below are some of the advantages to be gained from using a Portland math tutor.

More Confidence in Math And Learning

One of the best benefits of hiring a tutor for your child is it will help boost their confidence levels. As a parent who loves their children, a few minor mistakes on tests or a couple of low scores might not seem so bad. However, there is a lot of pressure for students these days to get great scores on all tests in order to get into the classes and schools they want.

All kids make mistakes, but when you have a child making numerous mistakes and they don’t understand how they keep making them, it can become very frustrating and their confidence levels will take a hit. They may become hesitant to ask questions or speak up for help in fear they will be made fun of or made to feel less capable than other students.

Tutors can help make the subject of math more fun for your child and less intimidating. Time spent with a professional tutor will give your child the confidence they need to keep trying. It can give your child a great foundation for the future.

One-On-One Attention

You have the option of choosing an online tutor or an in-person tutor. No matter which choice you go with, your child will be getting one-on-one attention. Teachers in school do not have the time to devote attention to each child in their classes. Because of this, some children end up suffering the consequences. Even if your child’s math teacher offers extra help after school, it still may not be enough to make a difference. A tutor will be able to give them full attention and effectively identify where they are having issues understanding their coursework.

This type of help rarely happens inside a classroom. Teachers simply don’t have the time or motivation to help their students individually. They are focused on other things. They miss the individual trees and instead see the forest. They are too focused on deadlines, exams, and ensuring they are on track with their common core standards. In addition, more teachers are burned out and underpaid. They lack real and true motivation to help your child learn.

In addition, we have found that it’s the students who struggle with math who most need and most benefit from having one-on-one individually personalized tutoring.

Improve Grades and Test Scores in Math

Low test scores are often an indication of a lack of motivation or a lack of understanding. When you hire a tutor, they will be able to help your child with both of these issues. Everyone learns a little differently. Tutors are able to learn about the student and find ways to help them according to how they learn for the best results. Over time, test scores and grades will improve. This is essential for preparing your children for important standardized tests in the future. Math is critical to do well on the ACT and the SAT. And it’s also important for other exams. Does your child want to attend business school? The GRE and GMAT both require extensive mathematics. In addition, famously, the MCAT does not allow students to use a calculator.

Develop A Growth Mindset

Many students believe that they “suck at math” or that they simply can’t learn it. Often times, these students have a fixed mindset when it comes to learning subjects like math and science. Having a fixed mindset is a type of attitude. People who are fixed in their mindset believe that their skills are locked in place. They falsely believe that no matter the amount of effort they put in, they are doomed to fail. Therefore, they wrongly conclude, they might as well not even try. When they earn a D or F, they think “I’m stupid.” This internalizes the failure. They think it is part of their being or their essence.

On the other hand, students who develop a growth mindset believe that they can learn anything they set their mind to. If they happen to get a D, they would think something like: “Wow—that really stinks. I must not have studied hard enough for that exam. Next time I will step it up.” They realize that often time learning “failures” are simply a result of having the wrong strategy.

Working closely with a trusted tutor is important because it can help develop a growth mindset within the student. This can radiate out to every area of their life.

Help Them Learn The Most Important Subject

A Gallup poll showed that Americans rank mathematics as being the most valuable and beneficial subject in their lives. There has been a big push these days to teach more communication, arts, and English skills in schools. These skills are really important. And they should be taught. However, the data here show that students value mathematics. This is likely becoming more and more prevalent as the world moves towards an increasing focus on STEM-related fields and businesses. Hiring a tutor can help your child learn this valuable subject!

Ease Of Transition

When children have to change schools due to a move, it can have a significant impact on their studies. The new school may not be following the same math learning schedule your child was getting used to. This can cause confusion and difficulty for your child to acclimate. The trouble with their classwork can be made exasperated by the pressures of being the new kid in class. A tutor can help them behind the scenes to transition easier into their new math class. They can quickly be caught up if they are behind and helped to understand concepts that were missed out on while moving from one school to another. Your child will be able to start off on the right foot at their new school.

Improve Mathematical Reasoning

Hiring a math tutor can help your child develop their mathematical reasoning skills. These skills are thought to be the glue that binds all math and science subjects together. Mathematical reasoning is the ability to think about, understand, and explain reasoning about math problems. These skills are vital because often in math there is not one single solution. There are often multiple ways to solve complex problems. Students who have strong mathematical reasoning skills are able to see this and analyze problems before they attempt to solve them. Becoming a strong mathematical reasoner is also crucial to developing independence as a mathematical thinker. It allows students to see patterns in the problems that they encounter.

Encourage Strong Interdisciplinary Skill & Thinking

Mathematics is a special discipline because the core concepts in math are interdisciplinary, they are very useful in other fields. To the majority of students, math is an abstract concept that they will “never use in real life.” One benefit of working with a tutor is that the student can learn interdisciplinary thinking. At Tutor Portland, our tutors are all well-versed in mathematics, science, and other subjects as well. This means they are able to relate key concepts and ideas between subjects and incorporate those into their lesson plans.

Tutors can teach students that math isn’t only important during 50 minute periods throughout the week. Math is important all the time. You can use math to think about concepts in other fields. And other fields are starting to realize this. Many professional degrees and programs are now requiring applicants to have a strong interdisciplinary background.

Prepare Your Student for a Great Career

Many of the best—the most meaningful, well-paid, and highest status—careers require mathematics. Becoming a doctor requires high levels of math in order to succeed in subjects like general chemistry and general physics, and in order to do well on the MCAT. Engineers also need to be highly skilled in math. Any science field requires math. People high in the realms of computer science require mathematics. Statistics is built on math. For a long time, these careers have all required math. And the world is shifting even more so in this direction.

Many articles discuss how the future of work is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). This article discusses research from the Department of Education showing that students who study mathematics in college have higher rates of employment and better wages and careers post-college. This is likely because STEM positions are growing at a faster rate than non-STEM positions are.

Improve Your Child’s Financial Skills

Having a strong sense of mathematics helps students to better manage their resources or their monetary “capital.” Understanding the concepts of fractions, percents, ratios, proportions, and rate of change allow people to mentally think about their finances. It also improves their ability to strategically allocate their capital. Much of life comes down to the decisions that we make. And the decisions we make surrounding money are really important. Where are we going to choose to live, to go to school, and what investments might we make?

Warren Buffett has famously said that all the mathematics you need to be a good investor is a strong understanding of algebra. He says that he uses high school algebra every day as he analyzes and values companies. Now, your son or daughter may never become Warren Buffett. But, knowing algebra could help prevent them from making poor investment decisions.

Our Tailored Math Tutoring & Mentoring Process Creates Inner Drive

There is a lot of research these days showing that inner drive and study strategies are *the* most important factor determining which kids excel at mathematics. IQ is not the most important factor. Research shows that kids learn math when they are driven to learn it by internal motivation and when they have the most refined study strategies. The study strategies are easy to implement, but you have to know the right ones to apply. We can teach those to your student quickly. The more challenging thing it to gently kindle their inner drive to learn mathematics. Our math tutors know how to do this. We have a developed a specialized simultaneous tutoring and mentoring process that allows us to help with this.

At that the same time that we are tutoring your child, we are also mentoring them. I like to say that the mentoring aspect is the most important thing we do. We help students develop their own reasons for why *they* want to learn mathematics. We never force reasons upon them. Their reasons have to come from within! This is multiple orders of magnitude more powerful.

Develop Math Skills During School Breaks

All kids love their spring breaks and winter breaks. The downside to these long breaks is that it can be very easy for a child to forget the skills they have learned during the year. Thankfully, a tutor can help your child remember the skills they have already learned and then teach them new skills before going back to school. They will be better prepared for the new lessons their teacher will be giving. Your child will already have a leg up on the curriculum before they head back to class. With reinforcement, a tutor can help students recall their skills much easier. Their memories and skills of complicated math formulas will greatly improve as well.

As you can see, there are many reasons to consider hiring a tutor for your child. The right tutoring professionals can help children become more receptive to the struggles they are having in their math class and learn the skills to overcome them. Their comprehension, confidence and learned skills will offer them a better future both in mathematics and beyond.

Finding A Great Math Tutor in Portland

If you live in the Portland, Oregon area and are looking for a great math tutor for your child, consider us. No matter what area your child is struggling in or wants to improve in, our tutors will give them the necessary skills to improve their grades and be better prepared for testing.

Tutor Portland | Math Tutoring
950 SW 21st Ave #1117
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 347-7120

Math tutoring Services Include:

  • Mathematics tutoring
  • Calculus tutors
  • Algebra tutors
  • Elementary math tutors
  • Math test prep

We also offer math tutoring services for:

  • Spanish tutors
  • Chemistry tutors

Math

July 25, 2019

Math Tutors Portland Oregon

Math Tutors

Seven Benefits Of Working With Math Tutors Portland Oregon

Countless students struggle in school with math. That’s because once you fall significantly behind in a progressive subject like this one, catching up becomes next to impossible. Math tutors can help young students discover their ideal learning methods, attain mastery over essential, basic-level math skills, assist in test prep and discover strategies for successfully solving advanced math problems. Following are seven benefits that your child can gain by attending a tutoring session or, by investing in in-home tutors, with a qualified and experienced math tutor.

1. Tutor Students Can Get The One-On-One Attention They Need And Deserve

When people struggle in any subject, especially school math, asking for help can be extremely difficult, particularly in group learning environments. There is always the fear of frustrating instructors, earning the contempt of classmates, and failing to grasp the concept in question, even after the requested help has been received. This is actually why so many failing math students suffer in silence. Investing in online tutoring, in-home tutors, or private tutoring can be extremely beneficial for your student. 

Conversely, students that engage in tutoring session have the benefit of a private, one-on-one learning environment in which asking questions is always safe and easy. The new subject matter is never presented until the current subject matter is fully understood. More importantly, essential math skills are built in a very steady, progressive, and easy-to-manage way. Helping students better grasp math across elementary school, middle school, high school and beyond can drastically increase their confidence in the classroom and benefit them as they continue their education. 

2. Mastery In One Area Can Promote Confidence In Others

Failing in any subject can take a noticeable toll on a students’ overall confidence. Surprisingly, doing poorly in math can also affect students’ academic performance and general behavior in other areas. This is how many class clowns are actually born. The need to obtain approval from peers, and the need to deflect attention away from insufficient math skills, is inspiration enough to turn even the best-behaved kids into loud, boisterous jokers. As such, getting students the help they need as early as possible can result in impressive improvements across all areas of learning and advanced socialization. 

3. Math Tutors In Portland Oregon Can Identify Your Child’s Learning Style

With the best math tutors in Portland, Oregon, the first tutoring sessions are largely exploratory in nature. In many instances, tutor students aren’t failing to grasp specific math concepts because they’re inherently bad in this subject; they simply haven’t been presented with complex ideas in ways that suit their individual learning styles. There are visual, verbal, auditory, and physical learners. Some kids are able to process new information best when instructors take a hands-on approach. Others benefit most from clearly written or spoken instructions. If your child is an auditory learner and only has access to visual learning tools in school, tutoring will provide an opportunity to confront and digest key information in a more needs-specific way.

4. Establish A Strong Foundation For Future Success In Math

Feeling truly capable in any area of study can make learning fun. This is actually one of the greatest benefits of working with math tutors in Portland, Oregon. People who receive these services no longer find themselves dreading time in class, or worrying over their work at home. More importantly, given that many areas of math entail the development of essential and progressive skills, time spent with tutors can actually help lay a solid foundation for future success in the subject. When a student struggles with core skills, each move to a new chapter or section can place this individual further and further behind. Tutors can prevent this by both catching their tutor students up and getting them ready for the challenges and skills that invariably lie ahead.

5. Self-Directed And Self-Paced Learning Can Make Students More Proactive

Students who struggle in math often procrastinate when it comes to completing homework assignments and preparing for tests. Tutoring encourages self-directed and self-paced learning by teaching students their individual learning styles and exposing them to tips, tools, and strategies for problem-solving that prevent them from getting stuck. Moreover, students who get the undivided, one-on-one attention that Oregon tutors provide are more likely to feel comfortable asking for help in-class when they truly need it.

6. Tutoring Can Help An Under-Stimulated Student Reach His Or Her True Potential

Math tutoring isn’t just for students who are struggling in this notoriously challenging subject. It’s also for kids who have a special knack for mastering new math skills right away, and who are often bored or under-stimulated in the conventional learning environment. Working with a Portland tutor is a great way for advanced learners to start looking ahead to the increasingly challenging subject matter that they’re bound to confront, discover real-world applications for the math skills that they currently possess, and improve their testing and studying skills among many other things.

7. Tutoring Helps Kids Get Ready For College

The road to college is riddled with math challenges. Tutoring will prepare your child for the countless exams that will ultimately determine passing or failing grades, and admission to first-choice universities. With the benefit of added confidence and an increasingly self-directed approach to learning, tutored students tend to be more empowered when it comes to defining and pursuing their goals for higher education.

Math is one area of learning in which core, foundation-level skills are critical to success. If your child is struggling in math, consulting with a Portland tutor can provide far-ranging benefits. Tutor Portland is an excellent place to start searching for the qualified math help that your young student deserves.

Where To Find Tutor Portland :

Tutor Portland | Math Tutoring
950 SW 21st Ave #1117
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 347-7120

We offer Math Tutors in Portland Oregon here.