Tutoring Information

I'm open to tutoring students from middle-school through undergraduate, in nearly any topic in mathematics whatsoever (I'm somewhat iffy on differential equations and number theory).  I could probably do physics too–I haven't done much physics tutoring in a few years, but I recall it reasonably readily.

I think the standard rates for tutoring around Davis are $20-30 for an experienced tutor, so I charge $25.  I'm caught between my desire not to charge and my graduate student need for money.  Group rates would be lower, per person.  Say, $30/hr for 2-3, $40 for 4-10.

As you can see, I'm very flexible.  If money is a problem, such that it would normally prevent you from looking for a tutor, I'm willing to be flexible in order to help you get the help you need.

I only have a bike, so I can only get around the Davis area.

I am eager to work with gifted students, and I am especially eager to work with "exceptionally gifted" students!  I spent the last three summers working with "profoundly gifted" middle school students, at MathPath.  I can provide reams of math enrichment in many varieties, from puzzles to obscure, fun math topics to mathematical theory enrichment more in-line with their current math education (e.g., exploring logic and proof in middle-school goemetry...).

Please contact me by using my e-mail address, "arosenberg" at the domain "math.ucdavis.edu".

Tutoring is an amazing experience, because the more internally frustrating it is, struggling to find the right way to connect with the other student with the presentation of the material that they understand best, the more rewarding it is in the end.  The subtleties of how simple word choices, gestures, and drawings interact with the student's individual talents are endlessly intricate, going far beyond simply "visual learners" and "hands-on learners." We often point out the biases of a historian when we read a history novel; strangely, we rarely point out the biases of the presentation of an abstract concept in mathematics. Do we think of the sphere as a surface? As a volume? As any compact, connected, and contractible set of points? As a rigid algebraic construct of distance from a point? As a rigid geometric construct of distance from a point? Each presentation has its strengths and weaknesses, depending on how we want to use it, and we must remember that every time we look to use a concept even so "simple" as a sphere.

Even more important than understanding concepts is learning how to learn. It takes a long time to learn how to efficiently pick apart the information given in a problem, and even longer to learn how not to become frustrated. Emotional rollercoasters in problem-solving are nearly inevitable, but it is important for anyone, thirteen or thirty, to remember that the best approach is a new and fresh approach. Another important emotional tool is confidence. Mathematical ability plays a strong role in problem-solving, but having confidence—to work through puzzles patiently, to trust intuitions, and to try those crazy ideas that pop up—is sometimes nearly as vital to the task! Working with a student implicitly goes beyond communicating concepts.

My experiences with teaching and tutoring, both formally and informally, have shown me that I greatly enjoy and benefit from teaching, and I frequently hear directly and indirectly how much the students enjoy and benefit from my teaching. In short, I’ve tutored students in mathematics since early high school; I’ve worked in the Haverford Math Question Center two nights a week for seven semesters, where I answered any math questions; and I was a TA for multivariable/vector calculus in fall 2003, 2005, and 2007.  In the summers of 2005-2007, I worked as a camp counselor for MathPath, a mathematics camp for "profoundly" gifted middle school students, where my duties also involved giving lectures, teaching courses, and helping students on their many problem sets.

My Tutoring Experience:

• From 1999 to 2001, I tutored math students in algebra and geometry, usually 2 hours per week.
• In the 2000-2001 school year, I tutored chemistry students, usually 2 hours per week.
• I tried to start a Science Tutoring Program (STP!), to parallel the existing math tutoring program.
  (Unfortunately, as far as I know, I was the first, last, and only tutor.)
• At the end of my senior year, the math department recognized me with the "Math Service Award."

• Math Tutoring (undergraduate):
  • 6 semesters, 1-2 hours per week.
  • Calculus, linear algebra, abstract algebra, analysis, number theory, and discrete mathematics.
• Math Tutoring (middle school):
• During the summer of 2004, I tutored a middle school student in geometry. He improved significantly over just a couple months, and his grades went from Cs to As!
• Math Question Center (MQC):
  • 7 semesters, 4 hours per week.
  • In the MQC, I answered questions from any undergraduate students, from statistics and calculus to topology and graduate analysis!
• Math Teaching Assistant:
• I was a TA for multivariable calculus in the Fall of 2003.
• Physics Question Center:
• I ran the physics clinic for two semesters with another student, 4 hours per week.
• Fall 2001: Physics 105 (advanced intro physics).
• Spring 2002: Physics 102 (intro physics).

• Math Teaching Assistant:
• I was a TA for vector calculus in Fall 2005 and Fall 2007.

• Adjunct Instructor
• I was an adjunct instructor for Arithmetic and Linear Algebra in Spring 2008.

MathPath is a mathematics summer camp for "profoundly" gifted middle school students. I was a graduate student counselor there during the summers of 2005-2007, and I plan on returning in future years. As a counselor, my duties additionally included helping students on their many problem sets throughout the day, participating in discussions of numerous intellectual topics, and above all, mentoring them in their growth both as mathematicians and as children. I gave a talk on elementary knot theory during summer 2005, and I ran several mini-courses during the summers of 2006 and 2007.