Physics Tutors & Classes

Parent Q&A

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  • Looking for some updated recommendations for a physics tutor for my daughter in 9th grade. The archives are outdated on this. Thanks

    I would talk to the teacher for recommendations. It would be highly unusual in my child's public high school for a 9th grader to be taking physics so there may also need to be brushing up on bio and chem if she hasn't already taken those.

    Our neighbor Judah does tutoring and is a lovely human. I'm a bit wary of posting his contact info publicly, because I know the archives live forever, but if you message me I'll can share it.

  • My sophomore daughter attends a small private high school and is interested in pursuing engineering in college and hopes to go to Cal Poly or UC.  Though we know it's not required to have Physics in high school if you have taken enough of other sciences, we learned from my older child's experience with similar career goals that having some exposure to physics before college was beneficial for admissions but also as preparation for college physics.  Physics is not strong at our high school and with one teacher at the school who let's just say does not inspire a love of learning physics, we are considering that she take a summer class either this summer or next summer.  My question is has your child done summer physics, if so, did he/she like it and where would you recommend taking this class in the Oakland/Berkeley or nearby areas.  Thanks for any insight.

    You could look at enrolling her in ATDP. Deadline could be soon, but she can get credit for work she does there as they offer rigorous and transferable lab science courses. My son had a more flexible school schedule and took a few semesters of physics at Laney College w/ Mr. Nicol grom whom he learned much and whom he respected.

    I would recommend checking out Tilden Prep. My son took a class there over the summer and was able to get through a full year of precalculus. I think that they offer physics too. 

    As you research various summer options, do be sure to consider that fitting an entire academic year worth of material into just a few weeks can be stressful (especially if the instructor isn't really so skilled).  Our daughter did a math class through ADTP one summer (geometry, I think - it was a while ago now) - and it almost ruined her (and our) summer.  At one point she asked if she could drop out.  After discussing the implications of each option, we left it up to her to decide if having one class take all of her time/energy/effort was worth it - and she ultimately decided to finish (leaving it up to her did reduce the stress level somewhat, I think). I don't recall what grade she ended up with, and if it mattered in her future plans, but she did eventually graduate from high school, college, and graduate school, so I guess she survived. your daughter may not have the same experience, obviously, and I imagine it will vary somewhat with the instructor.

  • My daughter is a student at Oakland School for the Arts and has signed up to take Physics next year. She is very nervous about the course, as she is not especially comfortable with math. So I'm looking into a tutor to provide her with some support. The most recent recommendations in the archives are from 2016... does anyone have any more recent experience with a fun, dynamic teacher who gets teenage girls?

    When my daughter struggled with Physics this year we used Aspire Education for tutoring, at the recommendation of her school. They have many tutors available and will work with you to find one whose personality and style fits with your daughter's needs. An additional plus is that they will come to your house, if your want, so you don't have to spend your time taking your daughter somewhere - and waiting while she has her session. I highly recommend them. They can be reached at aspire education.org 

    My son has been going to Classroom Matters for all his tutoring needs for years now and he has been very happy.  He has studied math, Spanish, SAT prep and physics.  He’s had male and female tutors.  The quality has been great, and CM has been VERY patient with our schedule changes.  The are on Sacramento street at Dwight.  Good luck!  Sue 

    I don't have a suggestion but just a BIG WAY TO GO for connecting your girl with opportunities for success!

  • Seeking tutor for HS senior in calculus and physics ... excellent student ... got behind due to issues beyond student's control and needs some help catching up.  Suggestions?  Thanks!

    My kids found excellent calculus tutors at Tilden Prep. Tilden Prep primarily offers one-on-one classes, but if their teachers are not full and your times work with theirs, their teachers will also tutor. We used 3 math teacher/tutors at different times and all were excellent.

  • We are looking for a tutor in AP Physics for my daughter in 12th grade at Berkeley High. There has to be a better way than 90 minutes/night of homework her senior year. She is bright and a quick learner, just needs some help. Someone who comes to the house or relatively nearby. 

    Thank you. 

    When my daughter was at Berkeley High, she struggled with both math and physics, and Daniel Mayeri came to the rescue. He was a great tutor -- my daughter said he was so much better than her actual teachers. He knows the BHS curriculum well and tutors lots of kids going there. Kind, patient, and knows what he's talking about and how to explain it. I don't know where you live, but he teaches from an office across the street from the Cal Berkeley campus, at Bancroft and Oxford. http://mayeri-education.com/

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Physics tutor

Aug 2014

Through a combination of effort and luck, we found Drummond Fielding, a Physics Graduate student at Berkeley to be my son's physics tutor. As an Engineering Ph.D. myself, I wanted someone with a spectacular understanding of Physics AND wanted someone who truly loves Physics, who is personable and who is a great communicator. Drummond came highly recommended by a fellow Berkeley physics grad student who has amazing reviews from the BPN community for his tutoring (he does not tutor anymore as he is busy with his research work). Drummond exceeded our expectations.

Drummond's love of physics showed in his enthusiasm and dedication, and helped my son achieve and understanding of physics well beyond what was necessary for the A he achieved in his advanced Physics class. In fact, he became so interested that he asked to continue the tutoring through the summer! Since my son is heading to college this fall, Drummond will be taking a new very lucky student. My husband (Cal Engineering Professor) was equally impressed. Drummond can be contacted at drummondfielding [at] gmail.com. a very grateful parent


Tutor for AP Physics B

July 2014

Daniel Mayeri is an outstanding tutor. My daughter went to him weekly during her entire senior year at Berkeley High to get help and review for AP Physics B. He presented the information well and, if she didn't understand the material, he would try another way to explain the it. He was very creative and persistent in ensuring she got it. My daughter was not struggling in the class, but she loved having a chance to review the material with Daniel. He help her get another angle on the information, understand it at a deeper level, and solidify it for her. In addition to being a talented tutor, he is also a very nice person. Contact Daniel at www.berkeleymathtutor.com Erika J


Need a Physics AP tutor

Oct 2011

I need a recommendation for an AP Physics tutor to come to our house (or to the library) in Orinda. Also, what is the going rate? Thanks. Anon


Why don't you try Beatrice Rey-Herme in Orinda 925-253-6978. She is EXCELLENT--- she is now $70/hour but extremely competent and will get through to your teen. You can mention my name-- she has a pretty booked schedule. alice


Physics Tutor for high school student

Sept 2010

We're looking for a Physics tutor. Can you recommend someone who is a great Physics tutor and an effective communicator? The student is a junior at Miramonte High School in Orinda who is struggling with Physics. Many thanks!


Try calling the Physics department on campus. We hired a Physics graduate student for my daughter when she was at Berkeley High. He was young, patient, and very helpful. And not too expensive. Anon


Hi there! I highly recommend Matt at Classroom Matters. He is an amazing tutor who has helped dozens of students over the years. Here is his bio:

Matt Criden was born and raised on a kibbutz in Northern Israel, and spent his childhood making friends with exchange students from all over the world. After serving in the Israeli air force for three years, he moved to Berkeley to pursue his education. Matt has recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a major in Astrophysics and a minor in Physics. His plan for the future involves attending medical school, doing research, and potentially teaching in an academic setting, while keeping Astrophysics as a life long hobby. Matt is a dedicated and engaging tutor with helpful and motivating techniques to help his students love Physics and all things math related. Matt believes that every student has the potential to excel at math and science when the subjects are presented in the ''right'' way--by focusing on the student's learning style. With experience, patience, and a positive attitude, Matt helps students gain the comprehension they need to get the grades they deserve.

Also, please note that Classroom Matters offers a sliding scale, if cost is an issue. Call us at 540-8646 for more information. Classroom Matters



Tutor for both Physics and Calculus

Oct 2009

My son is taking Physics and Calculus this year and is having a really hard time keeping up. He is usually a very good student, but this year has just been very difficult for him. Does anyone have recent experience with a tutor who is very ''professional'' and can teach both subjects? Concerned parent


Lizette Greybe (not sure of the spelling!) teaches both Calculus and Physics. She started helping our son with Calculus this year, but is now also doing Physics with him. She is excellent! Her number is 510-338-0103.
Had the same experience


My son, a senior in high school, loves the Bay Area Tutoring Center on Shattuck and Rose. http://www.bayareatutoringcenters.com/ Currently he is being tutored in physics and AP Stats. In previous years he has gone for Honors English, chemistry, and pre-calculus. He speaks highly of all of the tutors, and has referred many of his classmates there. I am a teacher myself, and have been really happy with his experience there.
Happy with Bay Area Tutoring Center


We used Connexion Tutoring last year for my son. He only needed a tutor for calculus but they also had tutors for physics. I don't know if Patrick McKenna is still available but he was excellent, patient, great at explaining, helped raised my son's grade from a C to an A. I think he could also tutor physics. The entire Connexion Tutoring operation was really efficient and we received a session report each week via email, something we had never had from a tutor before. Their website is http://connexiontutoring.com
chiliconmom


Paul Gee did an excellent job tutoring my daughter in Calculus and Physics. He was very good at explaining the material and was very patient in his approach. He encouraged my daughter to ask lots of questions and motivated her to work hard on understanding the concepts. I found it particularly helpful that he previewed upcoming topics for my daughter so that she was able to follow the teacher's lectures more easily. My daughter would not have done as well without his help. You can reach Paul at 510-502-8465. Good luck!
Thankful Mom


My child had the opportunity to work with a great tutor, Karen Street, who helped him to catch up and pass his AP Physics class. We were already into the second semester when we discovered that he had fallen behind and was receiving failing grades. She worked with him weekly to help him catch up with late homework, exams and extra credit projects. She evaluated his situation and developed a plan that helped him progress as quickly as possible with flexibility and lots of encouragement built in. My son, in turn, became motivated to catch up, learn and pass his class. I highly recommend Karen, who is also a former Berkeley High physics teacher. Her email: karen_street [at] sbcglobal.net
Pam


AP Physics tutor needed

Dec 2006

AP Physics tutor needed (now) that knows the Berkeley High course. BPN has only 1 listing so I need more referrals. Thank you


If you are looking for a great physics tutor, you should get in touch with Paul Osborne, ''Paul The Tutor''. He has a Bachelor of Science from U.C. Santa Barbara, a Master of Education from Harvard, and has been tutoring for years. I am a teacher, and I have seen him do some great work with students of every level. Try giving him a call at (510) 301-5302 or check out his website at www.paulthetutor.com which you can also use to send him an e-mail anon


August 2006

My daughter needed extensive help to understand her college physics course. She had an excellent tutor, Warner Freeman, who broke the material down to her in a simplified fashion step by step so that she was able to grasp the concepts and make them her own in a way she never understood them in class. The tutor is a former Berkeley science teacher. Reasonable rates, 524-0452 pauline