Subjects

Elementary level math

Middle school level math

Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, SAT/ACT Math

Education

BS Electrical Engineering, Drexel University

MS Engineering Management, The Catholic University of America

Secondary Mathematics Virginia Teaching Certification, George Mason University

Locations

Fairfax, Burke, Lorton, Woodbridge, Manassas

About Patty

Patty has been a tutor with Tutoring for Success since 2007.  She worked as a radar engineer for ten years before transitioning to the teaching profession.  During that time, Patty started tutoring and discovered that her true calling was to work with young people.

Patty’s approach is to help students focus on the basics and show them that as they advance to higher levels, everything just adds to the basics.  “They’re shocked when I tell them they’ve been doing algebra since kindergarten.  We just replace cute pictures of dogs with letters.  It makes it less intimidating, and they start to believe they can tackle what used to scare them.”  She believes that meeting them where they are and building on background knowledge builds math confidence, which makes them more open to try more challenging work.  “Math is everywhere.  Students know a lot more than they think and just need to find ways to realize the connections that are already there.  I help them do that.”