As a teacher, the most rewarding moment is when the "light bulb" goes on for the student: you finally hit upon the methodology that "clicks" for him/her. The student's face brightens, eyes widen, and smile blossoms; in that moment, he/she feels smart: proud to do something that seemed impossible before. It's a moment of empowerment and accomplishment, for both teacher and student. That's what I love most about teaching.

I have over 30 years of teaching experience in varying capacities. I was a tutor in high school, a camp counselor over the summer, and a "master tutor" as an undergraduate college student. Upon obtaining a BS degree with a double-major in Mathematics and Computer Science, I became a Graduate Teaching Assistant and was granted the unique opportunity to teach a college course by myself. After college, I registered as a substitute in Broward County.

Since then, during 25+ years as a software engineer for major international technology companies, I have been a leader and mentor of junior engineers, a trainer for customers, and a lecturer/presenter for colleagues in the industry. Also, as father to a blended family of five children, opportunities to impart knowledge and experience present themselves on a regular basis.

My teaching style focuses on concepts and developing foundational understanding. I believe one needs the "why" along with the "what" to fully grasp a subject and extend that to learning new concepts. It's not enough to teach what a student needs to pass a class or finish an assignment; the student must obtain a deep understanding to apply that knowledge to related topics and "figure things out" for him/herself in the future.

At the same time, learning must be fun and interesting in order to keep one's attention and make the information "stick". The key is creative mnemonic devices and humorous examples, while keeping the environment light-hearted and low-pressure. This is the formula for successful tutoring that both tutor and student can enjoy!