"Hello, my name is Derek. Did you know that studies have shown that the quality of a teacher's instruction impacts learning gains by as much as 10% on average? That's a whole letter grade in most schools! This statistic always causes me to reflect internally on my instruction, but it should cause everyone to be thoughtful in who they choose as a tutor. You're here currently on my page, so the question you're asking is probably why me?

Well, I'm a certified teacher in the state of Florida, holding a reading endorsement for grades K-12. I have a strong background in pedagogy with a track record for helping my students achieve results. I particularly love working with students who are among the lowest 25% and building up their confidence and academic foundation. I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's in Psychology. This unique academic path has helped me connect with my students and enhance their learning gains time and again.

My teaching career started as an activities teacher, where I worked with children from Kindergarten to 5th grade. Afterwards, I transitioned into the classroom where I spent 4 years as a third-grade teacher. More recently, I have taught Pre-Algebra and Algebra to Junior High students. By putting in the extra effort and time, I've annually been marked as a highly effective educator. During my career, I have helped students of all ability levels to perform better in school, increase their learning gains and boost their self-esteem. My students typically perform at least 20% better than their peers on standardized assessments.

My approach to tutoring is hands-on, and I believe in a traditional approach to learning in reading and math. This includes phonics instruction for decoding unknown words, building math automaticity, and more. I've worked with numerous curricula, including i-Ready Learning, Literacy Essentials, Core Knowledge Foundation, Singapore Math, Well-Ordered Language, and others.

I'm currently seeking new students and would love to meet y" less...