Caitlin J.
Private tutor in Sunnyvale, CA
Education
BS in Physics, University of Minnesota, 2011 BS in Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, 2012 Minor in Mathematics MS in Physics, UC Santa Cruz, 2014 Currently a Graduate student pursuing a PhD in physics at UCSC.
Experience
I have tutored college calculus II, introductory college physics, high school math, high school physics and assisted in studying for the quantitative portion of the GRE. I enjoy tutoring because I get to interact with students one on one. By getting to known students' strengths, weaknesses, goals and interests I am able to tailor my teaching method to that particular individual. I love hearing students say "Wow, that makes so much sense!" and "This isn't as hard as I thought!" not because I believe that the subjects are easy, but because I believe you gain so much confidence by understanding how to approach learning in your own unique way. I've designed and taught three inquiry-based learning activities through the Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators based at UCSC. Those experiences have taught me about equitable teaching, authentic STEM practices and pedagogical theory which I incorporate into my tutoring. Each student has their own identity, conceptions about the world and strengths which are important to incorporate while tutoring. I have been a teaching assistant for an introductory astronomy class at the University of Minnesota, Physics 6A at UCSC and Physics 134 at UCSC. This year, I've also gained invaluable experience being a primary lecturer at Cal State East Bay for introductory physics courses. Being a student, a teaching assistant and a lecturer allows me to see the learning environment from multiple perspectives and how a student can best succeed.
Availability
Weekends at any time, Weekdays at any time
Can Meet
Up to 45 minutes away for no additional charge, Up to 5 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
Currently, I am a full time student at UCSC pursuing a PhD in physics. In my free time I enjoy yoga, being outside in any way possible, sewing and traveling! I'm quite interested in equity and inclusion in science, and I spend a lot of time thinking about ways to incorporate that in teaching. Environmental justice and conservation is another big interest of mine, and I think that we need science + lifestyle change + policy in order to protect our planet. Physics and math are such basic and important subjects in science that a solid understanding of them can lead to a better understanding of science as a whole, including climate change, environmental science and interpretation of scientific evidence. Recently, I've gotten interested in data visualization as a means of communicating scientific results with the public.
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