PrepNow Tutor - Andrew C.
A passionate mathematician and musician, Andrew loves meeting new people and learning about them. He holds a BS and PhD in mathematics from Michigan State University. Andrew started teaching and tutoring in 2011 as an undergraduate in the advanced mathematics program. Throughout his time in graduate school, he was involved in several cutting-edge teaching opportunities, such as leading "half-flipped" classrooms of students attempting to learn basic proofs in the context of linear algebra, elementary number theory, and calculus. After graduating, he taught as a special lecturer at Oakland University in Michigan for three years before transitioning to tutoring online exclusively.
Andrew has been tutoring in some fashion since middle school and high school, when peers often asked him for help in math classes. He continued to tutor throughout college and graduate school both privately and for the university. “I spent much of my time in graduate school focusing both on learning more mathematics (breadth and depth), and becoming able to communicate that knowledge very effectively,” Andrew says, explaining that he was consistently dissatisfied with his high school and college instructors. “This is what I love most about teaching and tutoring—being able to provide to others what I so desperately wanted while I was growing up. And, teaching is just fun!" Throughout his decade-long tutoring and teaching career, Andrew has taught pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, pre-calclulus to calculus 3, linear algebra, ordinary differential equations, abstract algebra, and more to students from middle school to college level.
“I would describe my teaching style as friendly, competent, confident, organized, flexible, effective, and empathetic,” Andrew says. When tutoring, he first assesses exactly where the student is in terms of subject knowledge and puts himself one step ahead of the student. He explains, “Then, I lead the student to where I am, which progresses them one step in their knowledge. Finally, we repeat this process until the student is where they need to be! I strive to be extremely clear in my teaching, always going one concept at a time, and never skipping steps.” Andrew helps his students not just with learning mathematics, but how to learn in general. A highly effective instructor, he received the Excellence in Teaching Award from MSU Department of Mathematics.
Andrew played baseball in high school (first base and clean-up hitter) and made the all-star team twice. He was in four high-school bands (symphonic band, wind ensemble, jazz band, and marching band) and he played baritone, tuba, French horn, and trumpet. He also worked backstage in drama, and was in one of the plays. “I stuck to math in college!”
Currently, Andrew plays 6, 7, and 8-string guitar, bass, synthesizer, and drums and he writes and records music almost every day. Over the last few years, he’s built a home recording studio where he and his friends and family can record all of their songs and projects. He also loves chess, documentaries, horror and sci-fi movies, biking, and baking bread. “I can do a pretty good Kermit the Frog impression!”
