Please read my Letter to Parents and Letter to Students.

Brief Profile

I am a professional, certified tutor who works primarily with middle and high school students. I am also a full time college math professor at a local Boston-area college.

I have an advanced degree in mathematics, and am capable of teaching all math courses up through Calculus. I also offer a very effective math SAT preparation course. Please see my SAT section below entitled "Why the SAT Math Test is NOT About Math".

I have many years of experience as a tutor. I have turned many frustrated "C" students into confident "A" students with my two step approach outlined below in my Letter to Parents.

I live locally with my wife and two children. I am available at your convenience on weekday evenings and weekends.

Letter to Parents

In just a few weeks, I can promise you solid improvement in your child's math performance in school. Why so quickly? Because I use a two step approach that achieves immediate results.

Step 1
I immediately start working with my students "ahead" of the class material. They see the material from me before they see it from their teacher. As a result, when they see it in class they are no longer lost. They feel more confident and connected with the class experience.

This eliminates the downward spiral where students get behind, and then "tune out" because they don't understand the material being presented. With my method, the teacher becomes an ally who is reinforcing material that the student has already learned from me. My students immediately gain confidence, because now they really understand what is going on in class!

Step 2
While I am working ahead of the class, I also go back and fill in the missing gaps. I focus on the concepts that are most important, and de-emphasize "busy work". This creates an efficient process where my students can quickly catch up.

Important Note: If your child has any reluctance about needing a tutor, please have them read my Letter to Students.

Letter to Students

If you are feeling embarrassed or even ashamed because you or your parents think that you need a tutor, please think again.

Many of my students actually brag about having their own "personal math trainer". They really look forward to our sessions, because they quickly realize that they really can perform well in math, and with a lot less time and effort than they realized!

I am not just another authority figure making your life more difficult or complicated. I do not assign homework. As a matter of fact, you will find that after our sessions your HW assignments will be much easier and quicker to do.

My job is to help you achieve success quickly. I am here to work for you. I only focus on the material that you really need to know. I do not believe in "busy work". I teach you the basics that you need to get a good grade.

Most of my students find that they end up spending less time on math, because they finally understand what is going on in class, so they don't have to spend hours on their own struggling to figure things out.

We will review together for every test and quiz. We will also check over your HW together. We will not waste time memorizing difficult formulas that are not needed for exams, or doing the same type of problem over and over again. Our focus will be on understanding concepts and being able to apply them.

The biggest lie about math is that you need to be a "genius" to get an A. That is totally false. What you need is an understanding of the material. This is not as difficult as people think. Many of the concepts are quite simple when they are explained clearly.

Give me three or four sessions with you, and I promise you better grades and much smoother sailing in math!

Remember: I am not just another teacher giving you more work to do. Just the opposite! I am here to help you save time and achieve immediate success. I am your "personal math trainer", helping you to achieve a better grade in school. Work with me for just a few weeks, and I promise you better grades, and more confidence in math.

Why the SAT Math Test is NOT About Math

If you look closely at the level of math required for the SAT, it is actually very basic. It is mostly based on material that you learned before entering high school.

So, why is the SAT test so hard? Because the SAT math test is not about math!

The math is an excuse to give you what is called an "intelligence test" or "IQ test". It is interesting that most government agencies and corporations are forbidden from administering this type of exam as a prerequisite for employment. Yet, it does not stop colleges from using it to decide if they will accept you!

When people hear the words "IQ test", they usually shrug their shoulders and start thinking that IQ is some sort of "innate" quality that cannot be changed. This is completely untrue.

The notion of "IQ" is poorly defined despite countless psychological studies. "IQ" is strictly in the eyes of the person designing the IQ test and figuring out what they think is important. Quite often, they are trying to determine your ability to "reason", another poorly defined concept.

Armed with this knowledge, the key is to figure out exactly what the people that give the SAT test have decided is important to determine your "IQ". It turns out that they give a huge amount of attention to "logical reasoning".

I teach probability and statistics to college students. Probability is nothing more than a formal method of logical reasoning. Anybody can learn it. It does take some training, but once you know the "tricks of the trade", you can tease apart most of the SAT math questions, and turn them into easily recognized problems in logic.

Most SAT prep services focus strictly on your math skills. But that is not what is mainly required to achieve a superior score on the SAT math section. It is your reasoning skills that need improvement. Unfortunately, most high schools do not emphasize reasoning skills in their curriculum, so most students are not prepared for these types of questions. They get baffled and frustrated by questions that seem to be using basic math concepts, but are "twisted" in difficult to understand ways.

My approach to SAT math training is also a two step method.

Step 1
I make sure that the student does indeed have the math skills needed for the SAT. Fortunately, these are fairly basic.

Step 2
After a sound review of basic math concepts, I then focus on the logical reasoning skills that are required to interpret many of the SAT math questions. Once students learn this approach, they are able to successfully tackle a much larger range of SAT math questions.

These two steps give my students a solid foundation in math, along with the tools of logic that are needed to interpret many of the confusing SAT math questions. The result is a well-prepared, confident student who achieves a higher SAT math grade!

Testimonials

"I was in danger of getting thrown off the hockey team until Glen came along and saved the day! He took me from borderline failing to a solid "B" average in just a few short weeks. He is very patient and kind, and fun to work with."

Henry - Student

"Not only is Glen a great guy, but a very effective tutor. To my amazement, my son actually looks forward to his arrival. He has made a very positive impact on my family."

Rich - Parent

"Glen is phenomenal to work with. I was barely getting a C when he arrived. Now, I am getting an "A" and am one of the top students in my math class. He also helps me with other subjects when I need it. Thanks, Glen!"

Bryce - Student

"Thank you very much for your time and patience with my son. I can honestly say that he would have never passed the course without your help. I always make sure to tell my friends what a great job you have done."

Cheryl - Parent