Samantha completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Florida, her Master of Education at Nova Southeastern University, and her Doctor of Education at Grand Canyon University. She boasts over 20 years of teaching experience: 10 years teaching secondary English for one of the 50 largest districts in the United States and 12 years teaching at the college level. She has created over thirty-five unique college courses, edited high school English test preparation textbooks for Barron's Educational Series, and has worked as a full-time staff writer for a newspaper. Her interest in tutoring stems from a profound belief in the transformative power of education.
Having been inspired by several exceptional teachers in her own journey, Samantha aims to pay it forward by acting as a mentor and guide for students. Her tutoring expertise spans SAT, ACT, and HSPT prep, as well as English, reading, writing, communications, ethics, and humanities.
Samantha's teaching style is highly personable; she values establishing relationships with students and conversing with them on a relatable level. Infusing humor into her teaching, she strives to create an engaging and enjoyable learning environment. Central to her teaching philosophy is the emphasis on connection, especially in subjects like English, which she believes can be easily connected to students' interests. By understanding students' interests, hobbies, and learning styles, Samantha ensures she can make connections to course content, even if it may seem dull or mundane, leading to those crucial "light bulb moments."
Drawing on her extensive education and experience, Samantha offers a nuanced perspective on learning and employs effective teaching strategies to help students achieve their goals. She excels at forming genuine bonds with students, providing them with agency in their learning to foster intrinsic motivation. Samantha's creativity shines through her ability to adapt to learning challenges quickly by presenting concepts in fresh and innovative ways.
When she’s not tutoring or teaching, Samantha creates art out of recycled beach debris, donated materials, trash, seashells, and just about anything she can find. She also loves spending time with her three dogs and husband, traveling (especially on cruises), and reading.
Audrey earned her Bachelor's degrees in English and Politics from Dominican University of California, followed by a Master's degree in English from Claremont Graduate University. She later pursued her JD at the New York University School of Law. With four years of tutoring experience, Audrey has guided around 250 students toward academic success.
Audrey gets immense satisfaction from watching students gain confidence in themselves and their potential. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring as well as English, reading, and writing-related courses at all levels, including AP and IB.
As a tutor, Audrey is positive and supportive, always celebrating student success and empowering them to feel confident and capable. She prioritizes understanding students on a personal level, tailoring her approach to their individual needs and preferences. She maintains a holistic view of their identity and encourages them to bring their authentic selves to each session. She also engages in meaningful conversations with students about their aspirations, including college choices, academic interests, and future plans. Audrey then adopts these goals as her own and always keeps them at the forefront of her tutoring sessions.
One of Audrey’s greatest strengths as a tutor is her ability to make challenging concepts enjoyable and relatable. When tackling reading challenges, she chooses practice passages aligned with students’ interests, facilitating better engagement. Likewise, for writing challenges, she seeks connections between their essays and personal experiences.
In her free time, Audrey enjoys baking, crocheting, painting, and spending time with her cat Daisy. She is an avid reader across every genre, but her favorites are historical fiction and fantasy. She has also been in six amateur musical theater productions!
Robert earned his Bachelor of Science from Yale University. With five years of tutoring experience and two years of peer mentoring for college readiness, he has successfully mentored over 150 students. His tutoring journey started out of a genuine passion for educating students about the sciences, particularly physics, and understanding the dynamics of the world around us.
Robert's passion for tutoring comes from the deep satisfaction he gets from helping students access a vast body of knowledge and easing their anxieties about homework and tests. He aims to prove that physics can be relevant and interesting to anyone. His tutoring is guided by the metaphor that every beautiful mansion is built upon a boring, plain, but sturdy foundation. He specializes in ACT and SAT prep and tutors physics at every level, including AP and IB, and AP chemistry.
As a tutor, Robert strikes a balance between being engaging and laid-back. He aims to captivate students' attention so they can fully immerse themselves in the subject matter. By making the content relatable to their lives or breaking it down into simpler terms, he enhances their understanding. Moreover, he believes in alleviating students' academic anxieties to foster a more receptive learning environment and improve their grades. Simultaneously, he values students' individuality and space, allowing them the freedom to engage with the material in their own unique ways.
Robert excels at tailoring his teaching methods to match each student’s unique needs. Whether they learn best visually, tactilely, or through another approach, he crafts an environment that caters to their learning style. Embracing a "go with the flow" mentality, Robert believes in the power of adaptation, likening it to water carving great canyons. By adjusting to what works best for each student, he leaves a lasting imprint on their education. Additionally, Robert adeptly navigates through students’ obstacles by revisiting fundamental concepts one by one, identifying misunderstandings, and addressing them effectively.
Outside of tutoring, Robert is a musician. He’s played the piano for 20 years and loves Baroque music (huzzah for counterpoint!). He is also a bell nerd; he plays the carillon, a keyboard instrument connected to an assembly of bells typically located in church clock towers or civil buildings.
Foundation Learning’s physics tutors have extensive tutoring experience or hold physics/science-related degrees. Our tutors are knowledgeable, friendly, and confident.
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.
Yes, Foundation Learning ensures families, students, and tutors stay on the same page using our progress tracker. Families can check the tracker to gauge student progress and view tutor comments.
We always start by learning more about students’ needs, educational goals, commitments, and preferences. Learning more about students helps us match students to a tutor we think will work best with them.
The best package for you is the one that best fits your needs and goals. We work with students needing varying levels of support. If you’re unsure which plan is best for you, our team is happy to help you explore your options!