"Hi, I'm Hew.

I have always loved math. I took the SAT while still in middle school and scored in the 99th percentile. I went on to Harvard, where I got my bachelor's degree in math in 1991 (getting a 3.5 GPA with Honors, and a Hoopes prize for my senior thesis). At Berkeley, where I did my graduate study, I was a teaching assistant for four years, in introductory calculus and discrete mathematics. That was a new experience, helping a classroom full of first-year college students. I found I really liked it: I was sharing the awesomeness of math to make their lives better!

In 1996 I finished the math Ph.D. (getting a 4.0 GPA). I left academia and worked in the software industry for many years, but I kept on teaching too, with lectures to my colleagues and in online discussion groups.

Since 2024 I've been tutoring one-on-one, for students in middle school, high school, and college. Teaching anything is fun, but I'm most experienced with algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus. I've also successfully taught computer programming and SAT preparation. I like to work mostly online, but sometimes meeting in person is more effective.

If you're my student, I start by trying to understand where you're coming from, because everyone has their own concerns and goals. I try to get you to make the mental leap yourself, to make it your own accomplishment with a gentle assist from me. Often it helps to suggest an analogy with something you already know. I home in on whatever is blocking you, returning to it until it flows better. And I make sure to celebrate your skills and successes." less...