"Hello! I taught high school science for two years in Baltimore, MD and left the classroom to pursue a Ph.D in Neuroscience at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. I am now working at the University of Utah as a post-doctoral researcher in neuroscience. I love teaching, and look at tutoring and individualized instruction as a great way to continue teaching. Through my experience as a tutor, I've found far too many classes teach science as a collection of random facts to be memorized. Not only is that nearly impossible to do, but it also takes away the beauty of science. My goals in science tutoring are to help students understand and internalize the big concepts and overarching themes, so that the individual facts have context (which makes it easier to remember).

I use my training as an educator, experience as a tutor, and knowledge gained from research in the neuroscience of learning and memory (my doctoral and post-doctoral work) to maximize the efficiency of learning the material (knowing that joy, enthusiasm, and interest in a subject are necessary for any learning). The results for my students are a greater interest in the subject, a long-lasting understanding of the material, and (of course) better performance in the class.

While I've had good success coming in at the end of a semester to help students cram for a test in a class they are behind in, I do my best work meeting regularly with students helping them learn - and remember - the material over the long term.

I sincerely hope that I get to help you our your child gain a long-lasting understanding of the world around us through science,

Matt" less...