3 Reasons Teachers and Tutors Should Work Together

A few words of wisdom from Tutorpedia Founder and former teacher, Seth Linden

I left teaching and became a professional tutor because as a tutor I could work one-on-one with students, develop personal relationships with them, figure out how they learn best, and tailor my teaching to their learning style. In my work as a tutor, I always try to build relationships with the teachers who spend time everyday with my students in the classroom. Here are 3 common goals that can teacher-tutor connections can help support:

1. Increased Class Participation - Students who meet regularly with tutors become more confident and motivated to succeed in the subject(s) being tutored. Because tutoring occurs away from peers and teachers, students often feel more comfortable asking questions and attempting hard problems when working with a tutor. If a teacher knows that a student is working on building their skills with a tutor, they can support the student in practicing in the classroom. As an added bonus, confident, motivated students are more likely to answer questions in class, volunteer to lead discussions, and make the teacher’s job easier. 
2. Improved Homework and Test Scores - Students usually begin tutoring sessions by reviewing their homework and studying for tests. Often, students struggle with the material because they don't understand what the teacher is looking for on a given assignment or test. Tutors can communicate with teachers about a student's specific needs, and how to complete future assignments to improve both comprehension and scores. Teachers can provide invaluable information that will maximize the effectiveness of tutoring.
3. Improved Communication - Teachers know student strengths and challenges in school, but parents know their children’s true complexities, including how they learn best. Because tutors often work with students at home, they get an “inside peek” at a student’s study skills, how they approach an assignment, and what their working environment is at home. Combining this information with how the student behaves in school paints a much more complete picture of the student’s learning habits. This improved communication between tutors, parents, and teachers helps greatly in identifying and teaching to the unique needs of each student.

Meet the Tutorpedia Tutors!

Our tutors take pride in the work they do, and their enthusiasm helps to instill an intrinsic love of learning in their students. The greatest measure of Tutorpedia’s success is that our students themselves are successful. After working with our tutors, over 90% of our students improve by at least one letter grade or increase their standardized test scores by 10-15%. More qualitatively, our students consistently report greater confidence and motivation, better attendance and participation in school, and improved study skills and organizational strategies.

We've compiled some biographies of our most in-demand tutors below. If you're interested in getting started with one of these exceptional educators, please be in touch with Emma Bundy, Director of Tutoring at emma@tutorpedia.com or (415) 948-1585. Please note that this is only a small sample of the great tutors we have on staff. You can browse all tutor profiles by subject and location on our website at www.tutorpedia.com.

Returning Tutors:

John N.

John grew up in Atlanta, GA and moved to the Bay Area to attend Stanford, where he received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. He joined Tutorpedia in 2008 and quickly became one of our most popular tutors. Previously, John served as the Program Chair of Stanford Society of Black Engineers and taught financial literacy for youth. John currently tutors students one-on-one, teaches our popular SAT workshop, and manages programs in San Jose, Redwood City, and East Palo Alto for disadvantaged students. Schedule a session with John!

Marielle W.
Marielle graduated from Harvey Mudd College in May of 2008 with a B.S. in Mathematics. She is currently studying at Santa Clara University  pursuing an MBA. Besides math and science,  Marielle enjoys sports, art, and reading!  Marielle has been tutoring since high school and has been working with Tutorpedia students since 2009. Marielle tutors students in all levels of math, science, and test prep. She also has taught HSPT workshops with Tutorpedia. Schedule a session with Marielle!

Bayley M.
Bayley received her B.A. in Spanish and Portuguese from Stanford University in 2007, where she later returned to complete a Masters in International Comparative Education at the School of Education. She also graduated from the Teacher Credential Program at Santa Fe Community College. Bayley was a teacher in rural New Mexico for three years and worked as a special educator for two years. She has taught classes in social studies, mathematics, and language arts. In her free time she enjoys running, cycling, swimming, and generally anything outdoors. Schedule a session with Bayley!


Sarah K. 

Sarah received her M.A. in Education from Stanford in 2009 and her B.A. in Mathematics from UC Davis in 2006. Sarah is passionate about math and loves getting others passionate about it too! Sarah currently teaches Algebra 2 and Math Analysis at Lynbrook High School. Sarah has been tutoring with Tutorpedia since 2006. Schedule a session with Sarah!

Scott H.

Scott recently retired from a 30 year career in Chemical Engineering. His life experience has provided him with many real life stories showing how math and science are relevant and useful (besides revealing the awe and majesty of the universe). Scott currently tutors students one-on-one in math and science. Schedule a session with Scott!

Stephanie C.

Stephanie received her B.S. from Harvey Mudd College in 2003 and recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis. Stephanie loves math and science and understanding how the world around us works. Besides tutoring and learning something new everyday, she also enjoys swimming, watching TV, reading, cooking and baking, and eating good food. Stephanie tutors students in all levels of math, science and SAT prep. Schedule a session with Stephanie.

Aaron K.
Aaron graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Cal Poly Pomona and joined Tutorpedia in 2011. He has three years of professional tutoring experience and loves making a difference for students. While academics are key, Aaron's approach also incorporates work habits and performance coaching to produce results. There is more than one way to move a mountain. When he's not tutoring you can find Aaron gardening, hiking, and making and racing go karts. Aaron specializes in SAT tutoring and has a proven record of helping students measurably improve their scores. Schedule a session with Aaron! 

Toby G. 

Toby is an east coast transplant who fell in love with California and all the natural beauty it has to offer. She received her M.A. in Ecology from UC Santa Barbara in 2004 and her B.S. in Biology from Stanford University.  You can usually find her out on a trail with a pair of binoculars. Toby loves learning, and has an eclectic educational background that definitely helps with tutoring. Toby's specialties are Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Math, Science, Spanish and SAT prep, but she's happy to explore other topics. Toby has been tutoring with Tutorpedia since 2006. Schedule a session with Toby!

New Tutors:

Will S. 
Will graduated from Harvard University in 2009 with a degree in Biology.  He has been tutoring since 2006, and has helped dozens of students reach their academic goals.
 He loves learning about and teaching science, and he especially loves working with high school students. He has also worked as a research assistant in a plant genetics laboratory, and currently works for a small solar energy company. In the summers, he works for Seeds of Peace and Seas of Peace, which are conflict resolution and leadership programs for teenagers from conflict regions around the world. In his spare time, he loves to play music, rock climb, sail, and enjoy the Bay Area. Schedule a session with Will!

Malaika C. 

Malaika received her MSJ from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and her BA from Pomona College, where she majored in History. Malaika has been a professional writer and editor for the past ten years. She is currently teaching journalism at the Academy of Art and working as a writing coach and teacher. Her teaching experience also includes teaching English in Japan and SAT prep. Schedule a session with Malaika!

Elizabeth D.

While pursuing her degree in Biology at Stanford, Elizabeth worked as a peer writing tutor for the Stanford Writing Center. In this role, she talked with students about papers and essays of all types, and worked on topics from formulating a thesis to achieving the desired tone. For the past two years, Elizabeth lived in Germany and worked as a researcher in a university hospital lab. In high school she spent time tutoring after-school at an elementary school in East Palo Alto. Elizabeth is calm, supportive, patient, and interested in the ways different people learn. Elizabeth works with students on all high school science subjects. Schedule a session with Elizabeth! 

Charles P.

Charles graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Economics in 2010. Charles loves working with students and empowering them to find their own innate desire and capacity for learning. Over four years of tutoring Charles has worked with students of various ages, disabilities, socio-economic backgrounds, and academic goals. If your child is anywhere from completely lost to wanting to get that B+ up to an A- (or better!), he is here to help. Charles loves capoeira and teaches a few kids classes a week. He also practices yoga, plays music, gardens, and cooks. Schedule a session with Charles!

New Video: For the Love of Education

Many of you were kind enough to attend or support the Tutorpedia Foundation February fundraiser: For the Love of Education.  For those of you who couldn't make it -- or those of you who want to re-live the conversation -- we're excited to share a few highlights from our panel discussion.  Check out the video here to listen to renowned education experts Alan Lowenthal, Linda Darling-Hammond, Ninive Calegari, and Kyle Beckham share their views on why it is essential that we find a way to personalize education for every student. Check out the video below:

Thanks again for your continued support of our work at the Tutorpedia Foundation.  Your generosity and spirit help us further our mission of building a class of one for every student and expanding educational equity among our community of learners.  If you are interested in being further engaged with our work, please email us at info@tutorpediafoundation.org.  We love to hear from you!

Tutorpedia Spring & Summer Workshops

In addition to providing tutoring in all academic subjects, Tutorpedia's highly qualified instructors also teach small group workshops on a variety of subjects. This Spring and Summer, we're fortunate to partner with a number of schools and organizations to offer workshops to middle and high school students around the Bay Area. Below are workshop descriptions and dates for upcoming workshops. If you'd like more information, please be in touch with us by calling 415-948-1585 or emailing info@tutorpedia.com.

Spring Workshops at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

High School Prep & Study Skills

Dates: Sunday April 15-Sunday May 20, 9:30-12:30 (6 times on Sundays)

Sign up!

For middle schoolers who strive for admission to competitive high schools, the application can improve or diminish their chances of success. Teens are provided with mock high school admissions applications and general study skills to position them for success in high school and beyond.

SAT Prep

Dates: Saturday April 14-Saturday May 19, 9:30-12:30 (6 times on Saturdays)

Sign up!

For those seeking admission to competitive colleges, SAT performance can improve or diminish their chances of success. Teens are provided with high-quality SAT preparation and general study skills to position them for success in taking SATs. They learn how to become more desirable candidates for admission to the school(s) of their choice plus study skills to help them succeed throughout high school, college and beyond.

Summer Workshops at Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton

Conquer the SAT!

Dates: July 23 – August 3, 1:00-3:00

Sign up!

For those seeking admission to competitive colleges, SAT performance can improve or diminish their chances of success. Teens are provided with high-quality SAT preparation and general study skills to position them for success in taking SATs. They learn how to become more desirable candidates for admission to the school(s) of their choice plus study skills to help them succeed throughout high school, college and beyond.

College Essay Writing

Dates: July 23 – August 3, 1:00-3:00

Sign Up!

Does the thought of writing an essay give you anxiety? It doesn't have to; mastering this essential academic skill is easier and more fun than you think. If you're looking to get a head start on your personal statements and college essays, or would just like to refine your techniques to master the 10 page essay in no time, this workshop is for you. In this workshop, you will get a chance to work through the formats and conventions of several different types of essays from expository to epistolary, as well as develop your skills using persuasive evidence and literary interpretation. You'll also master the nuts and bolts of the five-paragraph format, which will help you craft strong essays under pressure on the SAT or on your college applications. This course examines a diverse sampling or writing styles and examples in order to enable students to see all the fun they've been missing out on in their previous essay-writing. Students will also have the opportunity to share and critique one another's work in a safe, friendly environment.

Summer Workshops at Fei Tian Academy in San Francisco

Math Support

Session 1: July 2-13 - Algebra Support, 9:30-11:30

Session 2: July 16-27 - Geometry Support, 9:30-11:30

Sign up!

This workshop is designed to provide students with a boost in their math abilities. We customize each workshop to the students with whom we will be working. The class will focus on skill building around Algebra and Geometry at the appropriate grade/ability level.

Creative Writing

Session 1: July 2-13 (5th-8th grade), 12:30-2:30

Session 2: July 16-27 (9th-12th grade), 12:30-2:30

Sign up!

Love to write? Like it, but not digging how it's set up in school? We take writing and make it fun! Whether you have been writing since you were a baby, or just started yesterday, we take a creative approach that helps you look at writing from different angles.

This workshop will focus on essential elements of writing. It includes many non-traditional ways to view writing and a healthy dash of peer review in a safe environment.

When you enjoy the way you write, what you HAVE to write becomes more fun! We show you how to put the fun back into writing. This workshop is designed to accomplish the course objectives and goals through experiential-style writing, which includes the use of nature, prompts, colors, music, and other forms of creativity.

Riverside School in India

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting an amazing school in Ahmedabad, India called Riverside. Founded by Kiran Sethi, the school bases its pedagogy and curriculum on Howard Gardner and his theory of multiple intelligences. I've never seen such a successful synergy of multi-sensory learning and school design, creating a truly holistic approach to education. This is a school built on rigor, relevance, and relationships. See http://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge.html for her TED talk.

Kiran studied design at Harvard (her husband is a world-champion billiards player), and when her daughter was ready to start school, she found no suitable place for her. Motivated to give her daughter a world-class k-12 education, and to change India's dismal education options, Kiran decided to design a school from scratch. Starting with one class in a modified bungalow covering less than one acre 11 years ago, the school today boasts almost 400 students from pre-K to 11th grade. Next year it will add its final class (12th grade) and graduate its first students (including Kiran's daughter) to college.

Innovative curriculum:
Three "key stages" mark three developmental stages in learning at Riverside (similar to our elementary, middle, and high school distinction), but what is beautiful is the cross-pollination of ideas and collaboration between students, teachers, and team leaders. I watched a multi-dimensional presentation on the American artist Jackson Pollock, where 7th-grade students expressed his art in different media: with dance, music, food, poetry, and play. The presentation was watched and critiqued by grades 3-6, then Kiran met with the 7th graders after to offer her harsh yet proper analysis. "Respect your audience", she said, and "put mindfulness in your work".

I asked students what they love most about Riverside, and one said, "we get to learn by doing activities and projects". Students are involved in their community in a variety of ways. They participate in projects where they help local NGOs, and recently they competed in a global competition called Design for Change, where students design their own solutions to social problems. Students venture off campus to teach slum children how to read & write, help in sanitation and recycling efforts, and cook and clean at local cafes. The words "immersion" and "persistence" are used often to describe their daily activities. Students don't learn Hindi until 3rd grade (English-only until then).

Innovative design:
Most striking of all at Riverside is the design of the school. The open space, the colors, the mosaic-tile designs created by students, the movable doors and furniture, the playground, and the student projects on display (a chair made of CDs, lights made of plastic bottles, elaborate hats and paper-mobiles, detailed biology projects by 2nd graders...). There are mini-amphitheaters for small discussions in the round, outdoor staircases filled with primary colors and cool breezes, computer and science labs, comfy couches to work alone or talk with others, and plenty of play and performance space to run around, learn collectively, and let kids be kids.

Kiran designed the school with an architect and contractor, but her greatest inspiration came from her students. When it was time for 2nd graders to change rooms, she had to design a new class, so she asked her students if they wanted cubbyholes again. When they responded "no", gone were the cubbyholes, and it became apparent how essential student input and feedback was in the design of school space. Moreover, student needs and learning styles change over time, with age, hormones, and natural growth in family and persona, so keeping the school flexible and organic was and remains an integral part of the school design. The grand idea for Riverside belongs to Kiran, but it's the collaborative effort of her students that have created the final space. What a beautiful idea, that students have a say in their learning environment. After all, this is their space, so shouldn't they have a say in how - and where - they learn?

Learn more:
To read more about Riverside, visit www.schoolriverside.com. Kiran's next big project is to document (with video and writing) the school and create an open source portal so others can bring these design and curriculum innovations to their schools. If you'd like to put your technology and education know-how to work here, or know someone who would, email kiranbirsethi@gmail.com. And if you're in India, join the likes of president Obama and Howard Gardner and stop by to visit!

Tutorpedia Foundation event a success!

Thanks for joining us last Wednesday at For the Love of Education: A Conversation on Personalized Education! The energy at 111 Minna was truly inspiring and we enjoyed engaging members of the community in our discussion. Thanks to you, we were able to raise more than $13,000! This will help us provide 1-on-1 tutoring for students in need, regardless of their ability to pay.

We appreciate your support and dedication to our mission!

  

A special shout out to our panelists Kyle Beckham, Linda Darling-Hammond, Ninive Calegari, and Alan Lowenthal (pictured below from left to right, with Executive Director Seth Linden)!

The auction and raffle were a big success. Four lucky raffle winners were able to walk away with a 16GB iPad 2, dinner for 2 at Chez Panisse, a gift card to Samovar Tea Lounge, and Four Barrel Coffee.


For a full list of our auction items, click here.

A special thanks to our sponsors:The Adventure School, Jane Hammond Events, Big Picture Learning, Hewlett Packard, Le Concierge SF, Panhandle Productions, Bell and Trunk Flowers,and Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE).

For more photos, see our album on our Facebook Page! 


Let us know what your favorite highlights of the event were in the comments section! We'd love to hear from you!

February 2012 Auction Items

Here are all of the silent auction items you can expect to see at For the Love of Education: A Conversation on Personalized Education, tonight at 111 Minna! 

Item	Description
A’s Luxury Suite	Enjoy an Oakland A’s game with up to 17 friends in a luxury suite. Food and drink included!
Las Vegas Trip	An all-inclusive weekend for 2 at the beautiful, Wynn Las Vegas.
Warriors Tickets	5th row seats vs. New Orleans in late March.
Mendocino Cabin	Two-night getaway at the Andiron Inn in Mendocino.
Giants Tickets	4 field-level seats vs. the Colorado Rockies on Friday, August 10th
Wine Tasting in Napa	A trip for 2 to the Mondavi, Frog’s Leap, and Round Pond wineries in Napa, CA. Exact Dates TBD.
Hair Cut at Hush	A hair cut and styling at Hush Salon by Lead Stylist Matteo.
Avital Tours Food and Wine (SF)	A walking tour stopping at six local food purveyours-- meet the owners and chefs while noshing on their artisan specialties.
Lewis Reserve Wine	Two bottles of exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 and a $25 gift certificate to Goat Hill Pizza.
Cameron Hughes Wine	A case of 12 assorted bottles from Cameron Hughes winery.
Goat Hill Pizza Package	One bottle of Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 and a $25 gift certificate to Goat Hill Pizza.
Photographs	5 high resolution photograph prints of Mount Shasta and the Yolo Bypass Wetlands Area, taken by aerial photographer Bruce Barnett.
Sports Basement	$100 gift card to Sports Basement.
Theater Tickets	4 tickets to the American Conservatory Theater for an upcoming show of your choice!
Fine Food	A $15 gift certificate for Emmy’s Pickles and Jams, yum!
Books	A $25 gift card to Green Apple Books.
Learn Spanish	2 months of Spanish lessons from Tutorpedia tutor Fritz Tramonte.
Books	A $25 gift certificate to Forest Books.
Udupi Palace	A $25 gift certificate to Indian Restaurant Udupi Palace.
Yoga Tree sessions	An 11-session pass to the Bay Area’s premier yoga center.
Event Tickets	2 tickets to any event or music performance at The Independent.
Spin City Coffee	2 bags of Blue Bottle Coffee and a Spin City Cafe t-shirt.
Bi-Rite Market	$75 gift card to Bi-Rite Market, and the book “Eat Good Food: A Grocer’s Guide to Shopping, Cooking, and Creating Community Through Food.”
Laundry Service	A range of gift certificates for eco-friendly dry cleaning by Laundry Locker (Haight and Fillmore, SF).
Comedy =D	2 tickets to a show of your choice at Cobb’s Comedy Club in North Beach.

For the Love of Education: A Conversation on Personalizing Education

Join the Conversation on February 15th at 111 Minna! Tickets available at fortheloveofeducation.eventbrite.com

Our Wednesday, February 15th fundraising event at 111 Minna Gallery from 6-9pm in downtown San Francisco will feature a panel conversation focusing on the most effective ways to personalize education for our students.

Our list of speakers includes:

• Alan Lowenthal, State Senator and Chair of Senate Education Committee
• Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor, Stanford University School of Education, Author of "The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future"
• Ninive Calegari, Co-Founder and Executive Director, 826 Valencia, Author of "Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers"
• Kyle Beckham, Teacher, Downtown High School, SFUSD

The event will provide delicious hors d'oeuvres, desserts, no-host bar, silent auction, and raffle. Prizes include weekends in Napa and Mendocino, sports luxury suites, and dinners at the Bay Area's best restaurants. All money raised at the event will go to providing free tutoring for low-income students in the Bay Area.

Tickets available at fortheloveofeducation.eventbrite.com

Visit www.tutorpediafoundation.org for more info, or call (415) 948-1585.

Check out Ashanti, one of our scholarship students, and her tutor Sarah