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Patrick M.
Private tutor in Oakland, CA
Education
I studied Biological Sciences at the University of Oxford and San Francisco State University, concentrating on evolutionary biology, paleontology, and botany and ecology of the California deserts. After graduating I transferred to the philosophy MA program at SFSU, where I currently teach critical thinking and philosophy while working on my own graduate studies.
Experience
I have always loved teaching, and as a kid would be forever seeking people out to explain to them things I had recently learned myself, especially after I realized that the true test of my understanding of a concept was in my ability to explain it to someone else. Throughout my life I have learned more from teaching than from the most intensive independent study. My goal is always to be able to translate a concept, a subject, or an idea into terms that can be understood in the context of the specific person I am talking with. From much experience tutoring friends and family members, I have learned some common issues underlying most people's perceived difficulties with subjects they consider technical or intellectually challenging, nearly always originating from anxiety or motivational problems rather than ability. I emphasize an approach of working through problems collaboratively, from first principles, rather than relying on memorized rules, and have found that this approach results in a better and more relaxed understanding, even to a love of the concepts.
Subject Expertise
Biology, Creative Writing, Expository Writing, Grammar and Mechanics, History Of Science, Life Sciences, Paleontology, Persuasive Writing, Philosophy, Plant Biology, Poetry Writing, Reading, Summer Tutoring, Writing