About me

I love math. I’ve always loved it. But for so many people, math is just a source of pain and anxiety. I think a large part of why that is comes down to how we teach math. Math isn’t just memorizing formulas and performing calculations. If it was, we would hardly need to learn anything; anyone can find formulas online or use the calculator on their phone. Math is about understanding quantifiable relationships and patterns and applying that understanding in order to solve problems.

The trouble is that we don’t teach that understanding. We frequently tell students what to do but not why they are doing it. When students don’t understand the reasoning behind what they are doing, math is useless to them. They’ll never know when to apply it or how it can help them. I believe in the value of math, and I want to build a world in which more people can understand, use, and appreciate math. Certainly, many people still won’t love math, but they can be comfortable with it and able to use it when they need it.

When I first started college, I did so as a math major. One semester, just before finals week, a friend of mine told me in tears that she was never going to graduate because she was never going to be able to pass college algebra. She felt so hopeless and ready to quit. Her high school teacher, her college professor, and a student tutor at our college had all tried to teach her, but algebra just never made sense to her. Nevertheless, we sat down together and looked through her practice test. I reframed difficult concepts and drew connections to what she already understood, and, eventually, we had a breakthrough. I can still remember her joy and relief as she expressed how much she wished someone had just explained things like that sooner. That next semester, I signed up for my first education class, fell in love with teaching, and changed my major from math to education.

When I’m tutoring, I keep a relaxed and friendly attitude. I want my students to be comfortable with me and see me as an ally on their journey to achieve. I work to be supportive and encouraging rather than adding extra pressure.

Outside of tutoring, I love playing board games with friends, enjoying sunny Texas weather, watching anime, making all sorts of crafts, and spending time with my wife, our cat, and our chihuahua.