Vision: To support high school students in developing a solid understanding of physics through personal tutoring, small group study sessions, and online Q&A forum. To use a a financial model that allows the greatest number of students to access my services.
After 27 years as a high school science teacher, I am venturing out into the world of private tutoring. During my teaching years, I found that, after lesson planning, teaching, grading, and tutoring my own students, I had little time for tutoring others. Starting fall 2020, I am semi-retired (pre-tired a friend called it), and I am offering my tutoring services to students across the country and around the globe.
My emphasis is on aiding students to develop an understanding of the models that make up science. Models are ways we represent observed trends in the world. While science education traditionally focused on ‘laws’ (Newton’s three, gravity, etc.), as our collective science knowledge increases, we discover that many of most of these laws don’t always hold up. A model, on the other hand, is a means to make explain observations and that makes no claim on being the ultimate truth, it is understood that there are limitations to any model.
Students working with me will find that focusing on models, rather than memorizing laws, provides a deeper understanding of the concepts and problem-solving techniques.
Students build understanding of models by:
- Discussing their existing knowledge of the topic.
- Examining real-world phenomena and investigating what can be measured and described.
- Developing a model to explain these phenomena
- Testing the new model in conditions similar to, but slightly different than, those they initially investigated, and often adjusting their model to fit the new observations.
- Practicing solving problems with their new model.
In most tutoring situations, students will have completed Steps 1 through 3 or 4 in their science classes. Frequently, however, students are ‘stuck’ on Steps 4 & 5, so the problem solving is difficult. And this is where tutoring comes in.
Modeling Instruction™
The Modeling Instruction™ pedagogy, based on research and practices developed at Arizona State University in the 1980’s, has been shepherded and supported by the American Modeling Teachers Association since 2005. Initially developed for physics classrooms, AMTA has expanded the content to include biology, chemistry, and middle school sciences. AMTA trains nearly a thousand teachers annually through 2-3-week workshops around the US and the world.
Chances are, if you have found this site, that you were referred by a teacher who uses modeling techniques in their classroom. My experience using these techniques allows me, as your tutor, to know the language, activities, and methods your teacher expects you to use in your class.
I have been a “modeling teacher” since 2007, after attending my first three-week workshop in North Carolina. Workshops I have attended include:
- 2007: Mechanics (Physics): North Carolina
- 2011: CASTLE (electrical forces and circuits): Arizona State University, AZ
- 2015: Mechanical Waves: San Luis Obispo, CA
- 2016: Chemistry: American River College, CA
I co-led a two-week Mechanics workshop in Concord, CA in 2012, and I completed the Workshop Leaders’ training in New York, NY in 2016. I served on the AMTA Board as Treasurer from 2014-2018.
Education
I hold a Bachelors in Science degree in Physical Science from California State University, East Bay. As part of my undergraduate work, I completed the coursework for a Single Subject Waiver, demonstrating my knowledge in chemistry, physics, and earth science.
I completed the teaching credential program at CSU East Bay, and hold a Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential in Physical Science as well as a Certificate in Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Since earning my teaching credential, I have earned 40 units of university credit in professional development courses, as well as completing multiple non-university workshops.
Professional Networking
Throughout my teaching career, I have contributed to the science education profession through conference attendance and presentations, peer-to-peer email lists, and my personal blog (mostly science) and YouTube channel.
In 2014, I received the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to the American Association of Physics Teachers. I served as Treasurer of the American Modeling Teachers Association from 2012-2016.
Outside of teaching
I live in Davis, CA. I enjoy bicycle riding (mostly just around town these days, but I have also completed multi-week tours) and hiking. I lead a Meetup hiking group focused on geology for ten years, including short hikes and multi-day trips. As a long-time resident of the Berkeley/Oakland area, I’m getting used to the heat of the California Central Valley.