"I’m Tod. I have a B.S. degree in Computer and Electronics Engineering. I worked at the Federal Aviation Administration as an electronics engineer for 10 years and as an aerospace engineer at NASA for 20 years. I started tutoring 10 years ago when my son and daughter needed help with math in middle school and I continued tutoring them through high school not only with math, but with chemistry, biology, and physics as well. Through them, I found my second calling and have tutored ever since.

Whether you are struggling or are good at math and want to excel, I can help! My goal is for students to learn more than just the steps to solve mathematical problems. Students show more interest in math and learn it better if they can see real world applications.

I tutor elementary math, pre-algebra, algebra I and II, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. My tutoring style is to put students at ease and try to have some fun with the material. I never say that math is hard, as that is counterproductive. Math is not inherently hard, but it does require attention and practice. Knowledge gaps are a typical cause for a student’s lack of confidence in learning new material. Left unchecked, they can lead a student to believe that math is hard and start making excuses for failing to try. The most common question from math students inevitably comes up: “Why do I need to learn this?” A significant advantage of tutoring is that it allows me to customize the instruction to strengthen weaknesses and fill gaps in students’ knowledge. I don’t pound on it, but instead take opportunities from time to time to modify the examples and exercises in the new material to fold in the weak areas. That way, I strengthen the student’s overall skills while keeping the ball rolling with new material.

If you attend school and need help understanding the material, I can help. If you are home-schooled and in need of a full curriculum, I am available as well. Feel free to contact me with any questions or to schedule a lesson!" less...