“Mathematics is the most beautiful and most powerful creation of the human spirit.”

– Stefan Banach

What to Expect from Individualized Math Tutoring at Open Door Education

If your student is feeling frustrated, confused, or overwhelmed by their Math class, Open Door tutors can help. Whether your student needs help understanding and applying challenging new concepts, reviewing old material that they didn’t fully grasp, or simply learning how to study effectively, our team will take the time to understand your student’s needs and then connect them with a great-fit tutor who will help them to develop the skills, habits, and confidence that will support their long-term success in Math-based courses.

Academic Subjects in Math

Overview and Introduction

Pre-Algebra provides a foundation for much of the math that students will do in high school, college, and beyond. When students invest the necessary time and effort to master their Pre-Algebra content, they set themselves up for long term success and confidence.

What to Expect

With the support of a tutor, your student will see their grades and test scores improve. More importantly, they will gain fluency with essential concepts that will help them to shift their perspective and see that they can indeed be a ‘math person’.

How It Works

Early on, your student’s tutor will work to understand your student’s learning style and identify gaps in their content knowledge. Over time, your student will fill in the gaps, build proficiency in their current content, and even begin to work ahead to introduce new topics and make big, important connections across units. Most students meet with their tutor once a week for a one hour session.

Mathematics is the music of reason.

James Joseph Sylvester

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics is the music of reason.

James Joseph Sylvester

Overview and Introduction

Algebra I introduces students to concepts and formulas that they will continue to encounter throughout their math careers, including exponent operations, quadratic expressions, and extensive graphing on the XY plane. Developing a strong understanding of these concepts is integral to students’ ability to adapt to higher order thinking and prepare for more advanced math topics to come.

What to Expect

Your student’s tutor will help them to recognize and understand the patterns and connections between Algebra I concepts that provide the foundation for integrating new information, preparing your student for ongoing success.

How It Works

Your student will receive individualized support that responds to their specific needs and helps them to overcome their particular difficulties. This includes making sure that your student has the requisite background knowledge, providing appropriate practice that anticipates upcoming challenges, and developing good habits in preparing for tests and quizzes.

Algebra is the intellectual instrument which has been created for rendering clear the quantitative aspects of the world

Alfred North Whitehead

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Algebra is the intellectual instrument which has been created for rendering clear the quantitative aspects of the world.

Alfred North Whitehead

Overview and Introduction

Algebra II expands on the topics learned in Algebra I and introduces new concepts such as logarithms, matrices, functions, sequences, and series. Algebra II provides an important foundation for more advanced math down the road, however, can be quite challenging to master, as the units do not always build on one another naturally.

What to Expect

Open Door tutors work to help students find the simplicity that underlies a lot of Algebra II’s seemingly complex concepts by relating them to topics students already know and understand. Our tutors will help your student to see how graphs behave and the real-world applications for each topic using a visual and intuitive approach. Your student will gain confidence with consistent repetition of fundamental skills, and will be provided with additional practice using challenging extension problems.

How It Works

Our Algebra II tutors are experienced in guiding students through the various complexities of the subject and understand what students need to know to succeed. Tutors provide individualized lesson plans based on your student’s goals, whether they want to deepen their understanding of their current schoolwork, identify efficient study strategies, or plan ahead for an upcoming difficult topic.

Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.

Albert Einstein

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.

Albert Einstein

Overview and Introduction

Geometry has many formulas that students must be able to explain and apply, and often feels different from other math classes because of its reliance on spatial reasoning, a new skill that can be unfamiliar to students. This unfamiliarity or new sense of difficulty can be detrimental to students’ confidence, but Open Door Education’s tutors can help students break down the subject and eventually master it.

What to Expect

Given that Geometry can feel so unfamiliar to even high level math students, an important part of Open Door’s approach is to help students understand how Geometry connects to the math they have already learned. Students learn the rules and formulas for shapes and which shapes abide by similar principles and why. We also teach students how to make sense of proofs, a type of logic at the core of formal understanding of Geometry, and other key Geometry skills.

How It Works

How it works As with all our subjects, our Geometry curriculum is built around the specific needs of the student. We provide support for students, whether they are having difficulty with the subject, want to enrich their knowledge in advanced classes with new perspectives, or seek to accelerate their learning. Students often meet with their tutors in 60 minute sessions, in which they tackle difficult homework assignments, practice their skills using additional challenge problems, and prepare for upcoming tests.

Geometry is knowledge of the eternally existent.

Pythagoras

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Geometry is knowledge of the eternally existent.

Pythagoras

Overview and Introduction

In Pre-Calculus, students begin to work with higher order polynomial functions and apply concepts from geometry and trigonometry to the XY plane. Naturally, Pre-Calculus introduces concepts that are central to Calculus. Therefore, a strong grasp of the material is a boon to students as they move on to their final high school math class.

What to Expect

Open Door tutors help students understand the logic behind Pre-Calculus concepts like radians and the links between the Unit Circle and graphing sinusoidal waves. Tutors show students how to identify patterns that can aid in simplifying complex topics, and help students visualize concepts using graphing tools.

How It Works

Tutors and students build an individualized study plan together that best suits the specific student’s method of learning. Students typically meet with their tutors in 60 minute sessions. In these sessions, students and tutors will go over difficult homework assignments, practice their skills using additional challenge problems, and prepare for any upcoming tests. Our tutors use various high-quality materials to help students break down and understand Pre-Calculus concepts, so that they can confidently move forward in their math education.

Mathematics compares the most diverse phenomena and discovers the secret analogies that unite them.

Joseph Fourier

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics compares the most diverse phenomena and discovers the secret analogies that unite them.

Joseph Fourier

Overview and Introduction

Calculus contains the most advanced content that students will encounter before college and is the foundation upon which college math is built – it is especially for students looking to pursue a degree in STEM. Students will learn everything from introductory topics of limits, exponents, and inverse functions to the central topics of Integral Calculus and Differential Calculus.

What to Expect

Your student will gain confidence in and understanding of the fundamental principles of Calculus, and will learn the applications of these concepts as well as their alternate forms. By grounding the content in the context of what students will soon be learning, your student can build up the skills currently being tested in their classes and prepare for what is coming next.

How It Works

Students typically meet with their tutor for 60 minute sessions, and each lesson is supported by high-quality materials and additional practice as needed. Each tutoring session is collaborative and interactive, with students and tutors discussing particularly difficult homework assignments, working through advanced challenges, or preparing for tests in the methods that best suit each individual student.

Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics.

Dean Schlicter

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics.

Dean Schlicter

Overview and Introduction

Trigonometry, the “math of triangles”, acts as the link between planar geometry and the XY plane, connecting Geometry and Algebra. From SOH-CAH-TOA to the Unit Circle to sinusoidal waves, Trigonometry requires students to learn new models of understanding proportional relationships within shapes. It also comes with its own unique form of notation and rules, separate from most of what they have encountered in other math classes.

What to Expect

Your student will learn the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of Trigonometry, creating an understanding of what the Laws of Sines and Cosines are as well as how and when to apply them. They will also practice the application of Trigonometry concepts in real-world scenarios, making the subject less intimidating and abstract. If your student isn’t already comfortable with the underlying concepts behind the subject, our tutors can help draw up a plan to help your student catch up.

How It Works

Though Trigonometry’s specific challenges mean it has a more rigid approach than some other topics, there is no ‘one size fits all’ policy. No matter the level a student is starting at – whether they’re struggling with some core concepts or want to push themselves in the most complex areas of the topic – tutors can build a plan that suits them. As well as subject mastery, tutors help students with study skills and test preparation to ensure that they feel confident in Trigonometry in classes and exams.

Life is like a trigonometry problem. When we start it, every step becomes difficult. At many places, we think let’s quit, do another one, but at the end, we proudly say, hence proved.

Gaurav Sharma

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Life is like a trigonometry problem. When we start it, every step becomes difficult. At many places, we think let’s quit, do another one, but at the end, we proudly say, hence proved.

Gaurav Sharma

Overview and Introduction

Having a strong foundational knowledge of where statistics come from and why they are mathematically valid or not is vital for understanding the world around us, linking mathematics to our culture and society. There is varied content within Statistics, from normal distribution to data visualization to confidence intervals, all factoring into the reliability and accuracy of the stats we are shown on a daily basis. Students learn the fundamentals of designing good surveys, how to interpret data, and how to represent it in clear and complete ways.

What to Expect

Students will learn how statistics work as well as their real-world significance, giving a practical, non-academic motivation to master the subject. Statistics incorporates new terminology like ‘z-scores’ and ‘standard deviation’, and our tutors will help your student understand these concepts, how they’re used, and how they can be used to misrepresent information.

How It Works

Whether your student is struggling with key concepts or wants to advance their understanding from the classroom to the outside world, our tutors can find the approach that best suits them. Sessions can cover difficult assignments from school and offer new challenges to help students progress and master Statistics, as well as teaching study and test skills to increase scores.

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.

William Paul Thurston

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.

William Paul Thurston

Meet the Tutors Behind Open Door Education!

Tom

SAT/ACT, SSAT, German, Spanish, Writing, Organization

Tom’s first experience with one-on-one education came through an informal language exchange program in Berlin, Germany, where he lived for parts of 2007 and 2009.

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Ellen

SAT/ACT, Organization, Writing, Literacy

She has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Towson State University, a Master’s in Integrated Day Education from Antioch New England Graduate School, and a recent second Master’s from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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Jazz

SAT, Writing, Organization, Humanities

Jazz graduated as the only Sikh student in her class at Harvard College. She began tutoring as a way to make education more accessible for her local community of underserved black and brown students and immigrants in L.A.

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Matt

SAT/ACT, SSAT, Math, Humanities, Writing, Organization, Biology, Chemistry, US History

From humble beginnings (helping his younger sisters with their math homework), Matt’s tutoring career quickly blossomed in 2005 when he began tutoring students in math, history and writing in his hometown of Acton, Massachusetts.

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Travis

SAT/ACT, SSAT, ISEE, Math, Humanities, Writing, Organization

Travis Minor founded Open Door Education in 2011 with the goal of building a smart, compassionate business that helps students to navigate academic challenges on the path to higher education.

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Meet the Tutors Behind Open Door Education!

Tom

SAT/ACT, SSAT, German, Spanish, Writing, Organization

Tom’s first experience with one-on-one education came through an informal language exchange program in Berlin, Germany, where he lived for parts of 2007 and 2009.

CLICK FOR FULL BIO

Whether you have questions or are ready to get started, we’re here to help!

Whether you have questions or are ready to get started, we're here to help!

Kind Words from Past Students

Kind Words from
Past Students

“My tutor was very helpful at helping me accomplish my SAT goals. He was very patient and provided targeted help which helped me improve my score in specific sections. It was very obvious that he truly cared about my success which helped to motivate me to push myself further. He came to each session very well prepared with targeted questions to help me address weaknesses from previous sessions. He was enthusiastic and made our sessions very enjoyable and engaging. We met virtually and I found the sessions to be just as effective as meeting in person.”

College

High School

Grad School

College

High School

Grad School

College

High School

Grad School

“Mathematics is the most beautiful and most powerful creation of the human spirit.”

– Stefan Banach

What to Expect from Individualized Math Tutoring at Open Door Education

Understanding What Your Student Needs

Matching Your Student to a Great-fit Tutor

Helping Your Student Set and Achieve their Goals

Academic Subjects in Math

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics is the music of reason.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics is the music of reason.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Algebra is the intellectual instrument which has been created for rendering clear the quantitative aspects of the world

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Algebra is the intellectual instrument which has been created for rendering clear the quantitative aspects of the world.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Geometry is knowledge of the eternally existent.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Geometry is knowledge of the eternally existent.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics compares the most diverse phenomena and discovers the secret analogies that unite them.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics compares the most diverse phenomena and discovers the secret analogies that unite them.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Life is like a trigonometry problem. When we start it, every step becomes difficult. At many places, we think let’s quit, do another one, but at the end, we proudly say, hence proved.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Life is like a trigonometry problem. When we start it, every step becomes difficult. At many places, we think let’s quit, do another one, but at the end, we proudly say, hence proved.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.

Overview and Introduction

What to Expect

How It Works

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.

Understanding What
Your Student Needs

Matching Your Student
to a Great-fit Tutor

Helping Your Student Set
and Achieve their Goals

Kind Words from
Past Students