Minnetonka
4785 County Road 101
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Our staff is built to teach each student individually, to develop the skills they need to thrive in mathematics, and to foster a love of learning.
Our staff is built to teach each student individually, to develop the skills they need to thrive in mathematics, and to foster a love of learning.
Education:
BS in Mathematics and Physics from Creighton University
Years of experience teaching math:
13 years
What do you like most about learning?
Every time I learn something new, it feels like I’ve been given another puzzle piece, and the more pieces I put together, the more sense the world around me makes.
What is the biggest impact you’ve had on a student’s ability to become proficient in math?
I helped tutor a student who was last in her math class for 6 months, meeting several times each week. By the time we were done, she was acing every exam, and she went on to major in math!
What type of math do you enjoy teaching most?
My absolute favorite is Calculus II, but I also love teaching multi-digit multiplication and long division; there are so many little tips and tricks that can make a difficult and time-consuming topic quicker and easier!
How do you make learning math fun for students?
I like to focus on building confidence and pride in my students. When something that used to be difficult becomes routine, when a pain point becomes just another useful tool in your toolbelt, math becomes not just easy but also fun! Using a tool that you’ve worked through to complete mastery is such a rewarding experience, and I try to show this to all the students I work with.
Education:
B.S. in Mathematics Education. Currently pursuing an M.S. in Mathematics Education.
Years of experience teaching math:
6 years
What do you like most about learning?
I love the sense of accomplishment that comes with a deep understanding of a subject. As I have learned more math, I have developed significant appreciation for the beauty of the formalism and the power of the abstract tools we have developed in the last hundred years.
What is the biggest impact you have had on a student’s ability to become proficient in math?
When I was teaching College algebra I had a student who got C’s and D’s in math in high school. He came to my office hours every week and I worked hard to help him understand the curriculum. He ended up with an A in the class!
What type of math do you enjoy teaching the most?
I love learning abstract algebra, and that has translated into enjoying teaching high school algebra, along with the associated skills and topics students need before taking algebra.
How do you make learning math fun for students?
Creating a positive learning environment for students is all about the teacher or tutor's attitude and the effort they put forth in forming a good student-teacher relationship. Beginning the session with a short conversation about what is happening in their life, as well as interspersing those comments throughout the hour, helps show that you genuinely care; and showing that genuine care in how the student is doing and being respectful are vital for cultivating those relationships. This is in addition to other fun things such as our reward system and candy!
Education:
Minnetonka High School
Years of experience teaching math:
>1 year
What do you like most about learning?
I really like learning about all kinds of things and looking for the connections between them. It's really satisfying to find an intuitive pattern that can solve whatever problem you can find, and the connections always have some deeper meaning that makes it worth it to find.
What is the biggest impact you’ve had on a student’s ability to become proficient in math?
There was a student that was working on PEMDAS. They had figured out to group operations together with parenthesis, but they weren't grouping them properly and were getting things wrong. Going off of the grouping they were already doing, I was able to teach them how things were ordered correctly. Afterwards they did great and were much more confident.
What type of math do you enjoy teaching most?
I really enjoy topics with algebra and variables. It's really a core foundation of math and it's a lot of fun to teach all the different ways to manipulate variables and ways to apply them to different scenarios.
How do you make learning math fun for students?
I make sure to try and connect with the kids instead of just grinding through math. Actually being able to have some fun helps kids focus and learn better. I also really like making drawings or using some kind of physical representation to work with.
Years of experience teaching math:
1.5 years
Education:
High school sophomore
What do you like most about learning?
The thing I enjoy most about learning is being able to take a concept from the book and using it in real life to better connect the concept with examples. I love being able to communicate and working through problems with others. There tends to be a better understanding of the problem when interacting with others, and it also builds many amazing friendships along the way.
What is the biggest impact you’ve had on a student’s ability to become proficient in math?
The biggest impact I’ve had is being able to encourage and build up a student's trust and belief in themselves. I had a student who would always get frustrated and upset when she ran into a problem she didn’t know how to approach. By talking her through and encouraging her, she learned how to not get frustrated with herself and look for a solution first. That made a really big impact on me.
What is your favorite math to teach?
My favorite math to teach is multi-digit multiplication. With kids it is very hard if they can't visualize the addition and carrying and multiplication, but once they get the hang of it they love to do it because it's just plugging in numbers into different equations. The best thing about teaching multiplication is seeing how proud they are of themselves after solving for something big.
How do you make learning math fun for students?
I make learning math fun by communicating with my students, allowing them to talk freely with me not only about math. This establishes trust and confidence in the progress of learning math.
Education:
High school senior
Years of experience teaching math:
<1 year
What do you like most about learning?
The thing I enjoy most about learning is the people that I meet along the way. Obviously, I enjoy cramming information, formulas, methods, and theorems into my head, whether it be for mathematics or chemistry. I enjoy locating knowledge and dispersing it. But the thing that I like most is the connections I can make with friends, and people that I meet who are authentically committed to their work. That amazes me.
What is the biggest impact you’ve had on a student’s ability to become proficient in math?
The biggest impact I’ve had is on one student’s understanding of fractions. Fractional simplification can take a hot second to learn; it is the idea that four eighths equals two quarters equals one half. I remember one moment where I drew out a circle with increasingly small slices, which corresponded to a growing denominator. As soon as the student understood that two slices, from a pie of four total slices, meant the same as a half of the pie, it clicked. I remember that moment and I consider it to be one in which I excelled at developing mathematical proficiency in someone else.
How do you make learning math fun for students?
I make learning math fun by incorporating socratic questioning and manipulatives. By constructing an environment that requires critical thinking and an observation of new, foreign realities that foster learning, I can effectively engage my students.
Education:
Graduate of Black River Falls High School
Years of experience teaching math:
<1 year
What do you like most about learning?
The thing I love most about learning is being able to say random facts in random situations.
What is the biggest impact you’ve had on a student’s ability to become proficient in math?
I remember a time when I was helping a student who struggled with adding fractions. It took some work, but after I showed them how to do a few problems again, it clicked. They were then able to fly through the rest of the problems.
What type of math do you enjoy teaching most?
I enjoy teaching fractions. The moment that it finally clicks for students is the best part.
How do you make learning math fun for students?
I make learning fun by asking “Why.” The more “Why,” the more they think!
Education:
BA in Computer Science & Mathematics from Lewis & Clark College
Years of experience teaching math:
2 years
What do you like most about learning?
I love when a concept goes from at the edge of my ability to well within my grasp. Especially in math, expanding your foundations bit by bit can be so rewarding!
What is the biggest impact you’ve had on a student’s ability to become proficient in math?
Both at Mathnasium and at my previous math teaching endeavors, my favorite impacts I’ve been able to have are helping build up students’ confidence. So many people internalize being afraid of math starting at a very young age, but I truly believe everyone has the ability to thrive in math if they’re given the right tools! Finding the right way to explain concepts so that they make sense to a kid who is struggling, and watching students start to believe that they do have the ability to understand difficult topics are two of the most rewarding parts of the job.
What type of math do you enjoy teaching most?
I really like explaining how word problems work, since they’re usually very relevant to questions someone might have in real life even if they don’t keep studying math! These problems also connect to some very foundational topics in math, and getting to point out these connections is a lot of fun. It’s also very exciting whenever I get to teach a concept that ties into computer science :)
How do you make learning math fun for students?
I like to use silly examples and drawing pictures to explain why one interpretation of a problem might make sense or not make sense. I also make sure kids know that even if they make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world - we’re here to learn, not to be perfect right away!
Teach children math so they understand it, master it, and love it. Math can change their lives, and they can change the world.
Are you interested in changing lives through math? We're looking for outstanding individuals with a high level of commitment who are passionate about teaching math. Find out if there's a Mathnasium position that's just right for you!
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(952) 491-0395
(952) 491-0395
