Shawn earned his Bachelor of Arts in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. Motivated by the belief that 90% of learning occurs beyond the classroom, he embarked on his tutoring journey several years ago. His extensive experience includes tutoring math, science, and reading for low-income students, teaching English to students in China, tutoring for UC Berkeley's Molecular and Cell Biology department, and serving as a teaching assistant for a biology course at Berkeley.
Shawn's passion for tutoring stems from his belief that true understanding of subjects goes beyond the confines of the classroom. He considers it a privilege to facilitate the learning of others, finding immense fulfillment in assisting others to grow, flourish, and grasp challenging concepts. He specializes in ACT, SAT, and HSPT tutoring, as well as biology, chemistry, math, and computer science at all levels, including AP.
Shawn adopts a hands-on tutoring approach, tailoring his sessions to suit each student's unique needs. He firmly believes that engaging in thorough discussions and providing well-curated resources enables students to attain academic success more efficiently. Shawn's sessions feature active discussions, rigorous practice problems, and comprehensive textbook readings. He prioritizes individualized attention, rejecting the notion of speed limits or predefined approaches to content. With his interdisciplinary professional expertise, he adeptly guides students to discover their own learning paths across science, math, and reading.
Shawn excels at providing positive reinforcement and fostering a supportive environment where students feel encouraged to make mistakes and embrace the learning process. When students encounter challenging subjects, he employs various strategies to break them down into manageable problems. He emphasizes understanding the broader significance of learning and relates concepts to real-world applications, hobbies, or interests to enhance engagement. By incorporating analogies, humor, or pop culture references, he offers fresh perspectives on topics, motivating students to stay focused. Additionally, Shawn utilizes visual aids, drawings, diagrams, and mnemonics to provide new insights and facilitate comprehension from various angles.
In his free time, Shawn likes playing electric guitar with his friends in their band and biking the trails around the East Bay area. He also enjoys creating video games, writing stories, and collecting interesting books and textbooks. One time he stuffed so many books in a box that it disintegrated and he had to pick through a book-valanche!
Robert is a Duke University alumnus with over three years of tutoring experience. His journey into teaching began with a desire to combine his passion for education with his love for mathematics.
Robert specializes in tutoring mathematics and ACT, SAT, and SSAT prep. His passion for tutoring is fueled by student success and progress.
Patience, understanding, and encouragement are the heart of Robert’s tutoring style. He strives to instill confidence in his students by posing the right questions and motivating them until they can independently arrive at solutions. His approach is centered on guiding students to recognize patterns and develop problem-solving skills on their own, a methodology that has transformed failing students into straight-A achievers.
According to Robert, the beauty of math is its logical root. He is skilled at adeptly exploring the subject from various angles until it becomes understandable for each student! His strength lies in breaking down complex topics and tailoring explanations to suit the unique understanding of each student.
Aside from tutoring, Robert enjoys playing the guitar and staying active through weightlifting and Jiu Jitsu. He also played football at Duke!
Alyssa graduated with honors from Fordham University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Neuroscience. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. With a wealth of tutoring experience, including serving as a teaching assistant at the graduate level, she has successfully guided more than 250 students toward achieving their academic aspirations.
Recognizing the profound influence of the teacher's role, Alyssa is driven by the "ah-ha" moments she sparks in students. Witnessing them grasp concepts they once found challenging brings her immense joy. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring.
Alyssa is a friendly, dedicated, and easy-going tutor known for her expertise. While academics often demand seriousness, she incorporates fun into her sessions whenever possible. Alyssa advocates for active learning, emphasizing the importance of practice in mastering standardized exams. With over 10 standardized exams under her belt, she believes in the power of repetition to familiarize students with the various ways concepts can be tested, ensuring they feel confident and prepared on exam day.
Alyssa excels in providing students with innovative resources to overcome learning hurdles. She begins by understanding their interests, which enables her to create metaphors or pneumonics tailored to resonate with them. By incorporating elements of their passions into tutoring sessions, she effectively recaptures their focus. If one metaphor or example doesn't click, she readily comes up with another. In fact, she finds that the whackier the metaphor, the easier it is to remember. If metaphors don’t work, she switches gears to explore alternative methods of problem-solving or conceptualization. She firmly believes in the value of offering diverse approaches to tackle different topics.
In her free time, Alyssa enjoys training in the gym, doing yoga, karaoke, and playing video games!
Our chemistry tutors have substantial teaching/tutoring experience or hold a science-related degree. All our tutors are chemistry content experts.
Yes, Foundation Learning aims to make it easy for parents to check their child’s progress using our progress tracker. This tracker shows you precisely what your child is working on and allows you to see tutor comments and feedback after sessions.
Our matching process is based on what we learn about students, including their needs, strengths, and aspirations. We aim to pair students with the tutor we think best aligns with what level of support they need and the areas they want to improve in most.
The best program depends on what students and families aim to accomplish through our programs and what level of support they’re looking for. If you’re not sure which package is best, our team is here to answer your questions!