Lots of great exhibitors, talks and passionate physics educators and students.

Tutor.com recently had the opportunity to visit the 2010 American Physical Society and The American Association of Physics Teachers’ Joint Meeting in Washington, D.C. Despite the 30 inches of snow that brought the city to a halt for a few days, the meeting was very well attended.

The meeting encompassed a series of events with a focus on “Physics for the Nation’s Future”. Between the plenary sessions, such as “Re-Energizing America’s Focus in STEM Education” the exhibits showing the latest technology, programs and services in the world of physics, the poster sessions with many students presenting great research, and the awards ceremonies commending individuals for outstanding contribution to physics, this meeting was an all out physics fest. The Mayor of D.C., Adrian Fenty, even declared the week of Feb. 14 – 21 Physics Education Week!

We also had the opportunity to meet with our partners, The Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma Honor Society and were warmly invited to their version of Physics Jeopardy as well as their induction of Honorary Member and Pioneering Astronomer Vera Rubin who discovered dark matter in galaxies. How cool is that? There are more photos of the event on the SPS Flickr page.

Overall, this was a great meeting and we recommend that all of you Physics lovers make it out to the next one. And don’t forget to catch Spectra, the original laser superhero!

What brought you to Tutor.com?  How long have you been here?

I found out about Tutor.com through a web search. It seemed like the perfect opportunity, since I was a full-time college student in need of a flexible part-time job. I have been with Tutor.com for about four months now.

What is the most rewarding part of tutoring?

Those times when I find a simple, elegant approach to a problem a student’s been stuck on for hours. The student’s feelings of relief and gratitude just radiate through the Internet connection and can really make my day. Helping other students with statistics also keeps me on top of my game as well!

Do you have any funny or touching Tutor.com stories?

I was helping a student with a statistics problem that involved calculating the expected value of an insurance plan. When we discovered that the expected value was negative for the insurance purchaser, the student had a “lightbulb moment” and realized why insurance companies make so much money. I really like the fact that a lot of the topics I come across in tutoring are easily relatable to real life.

What interests do you have outside of Tutor.com?

I’m an avid experimental chemist; my dream is to one day establish my own laboratory. I also enjoy writing short stories, composing music, and fitness walking.

Any big events or activities coming up?

I’m just about to start another semester of college, and I’m taking my pharmacy technician certification exam soon. Eep!

Do you want to tutor for Tutor.com? Apply now.

Rachelle and Tom

I think every military story in unique but here is mine… (Rachelle W. is a Senior Mentor with Tutor.com and has been with Tutor.com since August 2005. She tutors mid-level math, algebra 1 & 11 and geometry.)

I grew up near Montgomery, Alabama and although my family wasn’t tied to the military in any way, we knew lots of military people because Maxwell Air Force Base and its Gunter annex are both large bases in Montgomery.  Also, Columbus, Georgia with the army base Ft. Benning is only about an hour away and I had friends who lived near Columbus.

My first real connection to the military was when my then boyfriend joined the Army National Guard in 1985.  He was away at Basic Training and his first skills training during my senior year in high school and then we married during my first year of college.  He was a weekend soldier so we weren’t really “military” minded until he was deployed for 9 months in Desert Storm.  During the deployment, I had to learn a lot about the military and the bases and I decided that it was something beneficial for me. We used the bases after his deployment but not a great deal. During this time, I had a career in computer design and analysis and probably one-third of the people I worked with had been in the Air Force and stationed in Montgomery.

As the Guard was utilized more around the world, our benefits and base privileges grew as well.  As they grew, I took advantage of that. Most of the time, Tom would tell me about the changes as he heard about them at drill.  When he was deployed to Iraq in 2004, my children and I started using base doctors and since we were out there we started using other things as well, like the libraries, stores, and movie theaters.  When he returned, we were able to stay on military health insurance so we have kept going to base. I am on an FRG (Family Resource Group) email list now and get most of my updates and information from them as soon as I get them from Tom.  We also get information from a couple of websites and magazines that we receive.  During his deployments, I was involved in FRG myself but I have not remained involved when he has been at home.

Another tie that I have with military families is through homeschooling.  A good portion of military families homeschool because it avoids “changing” schools so frequently.  I homeschool as well but I also teach upper level math in a homeschool co-op.  This year my numbers are down but I have 22 students and of those at least 9 are either active duty, retired, and Guard/Reserves.  In addition to tutoring with Tutor.com, I also receive calls for tutoring from other military families based on referrals from other military homeschool families.  What I have observed is that the families who have recently moved to town don’t have a family network here to locate tutors so they rely on a military network.

I think the Department of Defense providing Tutor.com to military families is a great benefit.  In the simplest of terms, it means that when one parent is deployed and the other is doing all the taxi and home work there is one less place that students have to be taxied to because they can receive help at home.

U.S. military families around the world now have unlimited access to Tutor.com, provided by the Department of Defense. For more information, access and eligibility, please visit our site.

Tutoring with Tutor.com is a great opportunity for military spouses and subject experts looking for rewarding work with students who need help. For more information on becoming a tutor, please visit www.tutor.com/apply

Each month our team of mentors nominates a “Tutor of the Month.” This month’s tutor is Kimberly S.  from California.  Kimberly tutors Career Help, algebra, calculus,

What brought you to Tutor.com? How long have you been here?

I joined Tutor.com nearly two years ago, pretty soon after my daughter was born. In my case, I was less motivated by earning money than by keeping my physics and math skills sharp. Within the next year or so, I expect to return to school–grad school for physics–full-time. Tutoring keeps my brain sharp, something that’s ESSENTIAL when you’re trying to finish graduate-level coursework in a field like physics, and something that’s incredibly difficult to do when you’re a stay-at-home parent of a little kid.

What is the most rewarding part of tutoring?

The most rewarding part? I’d have to say those moments when you find yourself explaining something so well and with such clarity that both you and your student share an aha! moment. It sounds silly, but I swear I’m a better physicist now than I was two years ago, and tutoring is a big part of that. In these instances, it’s like we’re both learning together; it’s not a one-way, tutor-blabs-and-student-tries-his-hardest-to-understand sort of session, but a joint venture in education.

Do you have any funny or touching Tutor.com stories?

I have so many of both. Funny moments? Countless, both unintentional (e.g. the result of some clumsiness on my part) and intentional. I try to incorporate humor into my sessions whenever possible; so many students, especially AP Physics students, are so stressed out with their coursework that a little bit of humor goes a long way to help them relax, which improves learning. Plus, it can lift the mood of an otherwise heavy session where a lot of tough physics or math takes place.

Touching moments? Every time a student says, “I’m so glad I got you as a tutor tonight…I’ve had you before,” or “OMG! I finally get it!” I just tear up a little bit…

What interests do you have outside of Tutor.com?

I’m such a nerd. Very little interests me outside of physics. I do love linguistics, though, especially how languages evolve over time. I’m always looking up etymologies in the dictionary, or finding cognates between languages. But physics is what I prefer to think about. There’s just so much to understand!

Any big events or activities coming up?

My daughter’s imminent potty training, which I’m certainly going to need help with. Does Tutor.com offer tutoring help in potty training?

Anything else you would like to share?

Since joining Tutor.com, I’ve had the honor of working under two wonderful mentors, Edna and Rhianna. They’ve both been so warm, supportive, and helpful. You would think that a solitary gig like at-home, online tutoring would make you feel “apart” from the company, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I actually feel like I have co-workers and colleagues, as if I worked in an office. Thanks so much!

Each month our team of mentors nominates a “Tutor of the Month.” This month’s tutor is Joanna M.  from California. Joanna tutors algebra, geometry, chemistry and physics.  We are happy to share this interview, so you can “meet” her. Check out our additional tutor profiles to learn more about the people who help serve thousands of sessions, every day.

What brought you to Tutor.com? How long have you been here?
I came to Tutor.com when my son started high school because I needed a way to pay his tuition! I’ve been tutoring with Tutor.com for two years now. Tutor.com has been a Godsend to our family because it enables me to earn extra money without having to totally abandon them.

What is the most rewarding part of tutoring?
I love helping the student break down a “complicated” problem into its simplest terms, then the student says something like “That’s so easy!”

Do you have any funny or touching Tutor.com stories?
One of my favorite comments came in one of my first assessments when the student said I was “wicked smart”.

What interests do you have outside of Tutor.com?
I coach my daughter’s volleyball team and do karate with my 3 kids.  Two of them are brown belts and my son and I are green, almost ready for brown.  Other than that, I like to read romance novels and watch SciFi movies with my hubby.

Any big events or activities coming up?
I wish! Anyone want to send me on a cruise???

Anything else you would like to share?
The school I taught at for the past 18 years closed last year.  The picture is from the rally to save the school. It was very sad. Luckily, I found a new position at the rival school and have a new home.  I’m very happy in my new position, but have picked up a new subject, pre-calculus, which is a huge stretch for me (good thing I like stretching!). I have actually gone online with my public library to get tutoring for it!!!

I truly appreciate the Tutor.com experience.  It has given me a greater appreciation for my students and where they might be in their learning. I have also learned some great teaching strategies from the students I’ve helped and now use in my own classroom.

During the last academic year, students completed over 83,000 chemistry sessions with our expert tutors.  They needed help and we were here to provide it.

If you are a chemistry expert, consider teaching other students by becoming an online tutor with Tutor.com.  You set your own hours, work from home and you help students reach their academic goals – whether it’s preparing for tomorrow’s exam, finishing a lab assignment or understanding a difficult concept.

“I have a biochemistry test tomorrow and I didn’t feel so good about it, but now I feel a lot better! Thank you Gwinnett County Public Library for offering this service!” – Tutor.com Student

If you have what it takes to help students with Chemistry, Calculus, Physics or Statistics then go to www.tutor.com/apply.  What better way to celebrate National Chemistry Week than helping our future educators and scientists?

“America’s economic future lies with its next generation of workers and their ability to develop new technologies and products. This means we must strengthen math and science education in the U.S.” – Craig Barrett Chairman, Intel Corporation

Kenneth is a science tutor with a PhD in physics and also an accomplished author.   That’s not all – in his words: “It’s o.k. if you mention my age since you probably don’t have too many 83-year-old tutors.”

Besides tutoring, Kenneth has another life-long passion:  “Flying small planes and gliders was my passion for 50 years. After I stopped flying a few years ago, I detoured from physics long enough to write a book called In Love with Flying.”

What brought you to Tutor.com? How long have you been here?
My friend Gary White, who heads the Society of Physics Students at the American Institute of Physics, drew my attention to Tutor.com in the fall of 2007. I was retired from a career that included both college and high-school physics teaching, and was looking for a way to stay connected to students, so I signed up and have been tutoring since December 2007.

What is the most rewarding part of tutoring?
The VARIETY. Every session is different, and most are challenging. It’s wonderful when the student “gets it” and shows appreciation.

Who are your favorite authors?
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh.  A book I much enjoyed this summer.  Jane Austen’s Emma was also a delight.  I am reading the classics right now.

Is there anything you’d like say to the folks who help provide Tutor.com’s service to their communities?
It is a tremendous thing to provide this free online tutoring. I’m very impressed that libraries offer this as part of the suite of services they provide.