Our Approach
Our Approach
Personal Tutoring, Active Learning
We are experts in personalized online math & science tutoring. We specialize in an active, research-based tutoring approach. We put you—the learner—at the center of everything we do.
Our PHILOSOPHY
We Believe in Memberships
Memberships allow students to set a weekly schedule and hit goals through consistent effort. With our flexible monthly plans your sessions never expire. They are flexible, easy to change, and hassle free.
Oh, we also wanted to give you a session for free first 🙂
We believe so deeply in our tutoring that we always let you try it before you pay anything. From a customer's point of view, that simply makes sense. So it makes sense from our view, too!
the zoomtutor.com strategy
the zoomtutor.com way
At zoomtutor.com we have developed a unique method of instruction. Most tutoring companies are built by whiz-kids, by people who were good at math. Our company was designed by two brothers. The younger one, Eric, struggled through math & science his entire life. He always knew how hard it was first hand. He worked with scores of tutors and honed his sense for what strategies worked best. The other brother, Andy, had spent over a decade studying psychology and youth development. He knew the exact, precise science of what worked. Together, these two brothers have cracked the code. They figured out what works. Countless research studies show that people learn math and science when they hear themselves verbalize their mathematical thinking. This is what most tutoring is missing. Most tutoring is cut and dry and stale like old classrooms. Students sit their passively and watch. But that's now how you learn! You learn through actively engaging with a tutor. That's why we believe in an active process where we ask questions specifically designed to have students verbalize their scientific thinking. This is critical because it allows the students to see the holes in their reasoning. Many times the students are able to correct themselves in real-time. Additionally, valuable information is provided to the tutor on to exactly what the student understands and what areas still need to be developed. We believe in finding tutors who can teach difficult concepts in multiple ways. Math and science are tough. Sometimes it takes five or six different explanations for a student to understand a complex topic. This is something a video or textbook simply can't provide—real time feedback and explanations tailored to the learner. At zoomtutor.com we understand that its not the number of letters behind your name that make you a good tutor. We've hired PhD students before who struggled to get ideas across. What counts in tutoring is the results. The results for the learner! And this comes from a tutor's knowledge of the topic, ability to communicate, and specific active strategies use to enhance learning and retention. All of our tutoring is tailored to the learner. The simple fact is that people learn differently. We all have different sticking points. That's one reason why having a personal tutor from zoomtutor.com is such a big benefit.
Tutor tips
a researched-based approach
science tutors with a science-backed approach
The evidence is clear. There are certain strategies and methods which lead to faster learning gains. Yet our out-dated education system doesn't employ them. Other companies don't use them. Our founders had to learn math and science themselves. They wanted a leg-up on the competition—the only way to do that was to find what works. So the founder of zoomtutor.com began researching the science behind mathematics education. The following are just a few of the researched-backed methods we use: Quiz First, Learn Second At zoomtutor.com tests and quizzes come BEFORE we review material. Why? Because this technique is backed by strong evidence showing that when students are quizzed BEFORE learning the material, they end up developing stronger and more lasting learning-gains. Why is this? Because quizzing yourself before you know something is difficult. It requires mental effort and deep thought. This critical thinking primes the student. Then, when they are presented with the content later, their brains are able to trace-back what they have learned with the problems they attempted earlier and had temporarily failed at. The evidence has shown it time and time again. Quiz first. Teach second. Student-Centered Approach All of our tutoring sessions are designed around a student-centered approach. There are countless research studies demonstrating the effectiveness of this. Evidence has proven that the more time students spend actively involved in their own learning—thinking, asking questions, discussing difficult ideas, receiving feedback, critically thinking—the more they learn. This means our sessions are less about us teaching facts, and more about us actively engaging with the student. Asking questions. Providing feedback. Observing (and correcting in real time) their problem solving strategies. Engaging Metacognition Many of our sessions are focused around the bigger picture. We want our students to develop a metacognitive framework about their own learning. There is lot of research to back this idea up. When students think critically about their own learning they are more likely to score higher on exams and take home better grades on their report card. What is metacognition? It simply means thinking about your thinking. This is a basic thing that many students fail to do. They don't think critically about their approach and about HOW they are thinking about things. There is lots of research showing that students with higher levels of metacognitive abilities are better able to retain and transfer their knowledge to other domains. Metacognitive learning gives students a view of material from above the content itself. They stand above. Metacognitive approaches also help students become more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. The goal is that eventually we teach our students how to tutor and teach themselves. We want to give our learners the tools to master anything!