Am I a Good Fit?

I am especially interested in students who (any of the following):

• love math and want to chase their curiosity about the subject

• struggle with math and are internally driven to improve

• are bored with school math because they already know the material and want to learn beyond the curriculum

• are bored with school math because it feels dry and mechanical, and they want to be creative

• are curious about connections between math and subjects usually not considered mathematical, such as history, philosophy, and the arts

• are playful and enthusiastic (commonly true of younger students, but can also describe older students!) 

• want to explore how they learn best and what personally motivates them (in school and in life)

• are critical thinkers, restless dreamers, and/or eager changemakers.  Math is a powerful tool for all three!

I am not suitable for students who:

• seek specialized interventions for their learning disability, neurodivergence, or special need.  I can work with students who have learning disabilities, IEPs/GIEPs, or are otherwise neurodivergent — indeed, I am neurodivergent myself and read much about this subject — but I am not currently trained in implementing specialized interventions.  If a student can communicate with me their personal needs and learning style, I am eager to learn from them how to help them best.  

• are primarily interested in preparing for standardized tests.  I am willing to support students in test-prep alongside other intellectual or academic goals, if achieving a certain score on a test is important to them.  I scored 1590 on the SAT (800 on Math) and a 5 on the Calculus BC and Statistics AP exams, so I am particularly prepared to guide students in studying for those exams.  However, Math with Margin is not primarily a test-prep service, and other services exist for those who wish to exclusively focus on test-prep.  

• seek coaching to achieve top scores on math contests.  If a student is interested in preparing for mathematical contests such as elementary/middle school Math Olympiad, MathCounts, or the AMC, I am happy to work with them to do so.  However, I am not qualified to guarantee top scores on such contests.  I did pretty well in MathCounts, winning third place at the county level in 8th grade, but did not reach the cutoff score for the AIME in high school.

• seek tutoring only because their parents want them to.  Such situations are uncomfortable for both the student and the tutor, and I do not believe in pressuring students to achieve their parents’ goals.  If a student is unsure about the value of tutoring for them, we can discuss this during our consultation.

If you are uncertain about whether tutoring is right for you, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer any questions you have.  In addition, the first session is half price.