Math can be intimidating, hard, and stressful for many students, but it doesn’t need to be! At Teachers Who Tutor LA, we pride ourselves on having the most qualified, professional, and kind tutors to help children and teens tackle math with the goal of improving attitudes and grades. Our tutors are all teachers themselves with master’s degrees in education or their subject of expertise.
Why Have a Math Tutor?
If your child is struggling with math, a private math tutor can turn things around and make a real difference. Math can be complicated at first, but our tutors strive to make it understandable and fun for every grade level. Our middle school math tutors prioritize fundamental concepts and teach them as part of a custom learning plan tailored to your child’s specific goals. Additionally, our high school math tutors provide customized tutoring services and prioritize the rigorous high school-level math curriculum, standardized tests, and more.
What to Expect from Our Math Tutors
Study Techniques and Feedback
Our tutors aim to provide your child with the skills they need to work autonomously and efficiently. Eventually, your child will build confidence and not have to rely on the constant support of a private math tutor. Our goal is to foster independence in a warm and welcoming learning environment so that your child will go on to solve difficult math problems using the tools we provide.
We provide exceptional math tutoring in:
- Emergent Numeracy
- Pre-K and Kindergarten Basic Math Concepts
- Elementary Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
- Fractions, Decimals, Negative Numbers
- Middle School Math including Algebra and Geometry
- High School Math including Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-Calc, and Calculus
- And more!
As a parent, you will receive weekly feedback from your child’s private math tutor. You can rest assured knowing how your child is progressing and gaining confidence in the subject.
Test Prep
Standardized tests like the SATs are highly competitive and stressful for most teenagers – especially when dealing with tough subjects like math. Our high school math tutors aim to help students get the best results possible.
Get a Private Math Tutor for Your Child
Help your child reach their full potential in math and beyond the classroom. Our tutors will work with you, your child, and your child’s school to ensure success.
Meet Our Math Teachers
Benjie Messinger-Barnes
Benjie previously taught Middle School Math at the Friends Seminary School, and High School Math and Economics at the Rutgers Preparatory School the previous four years. He completed his undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Economics at Wesleyan University where he was the captain of the Squash team and active in Wesleyan’s local mentoring program. Benjie has an Ed.M in Mathematics Education from Rutgers University, and approaches mathematics with great energy, enthusiasm, and rigor, all of which he hopes to instill into his students. Born and raised in New York City but now living in Los Angeles, Benjie loves snowboarding, running, golf, playing pickleball, and anything else that will keep him outdoors and active!
Colin Horan
Colin Horan has been teaching mathematics for over a decade, both as an in-classroom educator and a personal tutor. He has tutoring students from Elementary all the way through Collegiate programs. He first found his love for education through swim coaching, and still brings that same energy and enthusiasm to his work today. Colin has a credential in business education, mathematics, and theater – a passion still very close to his heart. For several years, he has served as the Tech Director for his school and club advisor for the Dungeons & Dragons club. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Elementary and Secondary Mathematics. In his free time, Colin enjoys writing, reading, playing guitar, hanging out with his black lab, and any chance to spend time in the great outdoors.
Erica Nicholson
Erica is currently a 5th grade math teacher in Pacific Palisades, California. Erica’s approach to math is based on her training in Cognitive Guided Instruction and building a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics principles. She has a background in history with a bachelor’s degree from California State University Fullerton and a Master’s of Philosophy in history from Trinity College Dublin. She has also completed some doctoral work at the University of Sussex in historical geography and is currently finishing a Master’s of Science in Curriculum and Instruction. She enjoys surfing with her husband and reading in her free time.
Erika Amaya
Erika Amaya teaches high school math at Chadwick school in Palos Verdes. She earned her B.A. in Mathematics and M.Ed from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Erika is passionate about helping students make sense of complex concepts and showing students how math applies to life. She has taught everything from Algebra 1 to Multivariable Calculus and has tutored math since she was a high school student. Erika enjoys do-it-yourself home projects, reading, hiking, all water-related activities, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Geanie Kim
Geanie Kim has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Teaching Credential from CSULB. She has taught as a credentialed Math Teacher for 20 years. She has experience teaching and tutoring high school and middle school students, and has taught many different Math classes including PreAlgebra, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2, Trigonometry, and Precalculus. Geanie loves to work one-on-one with students in order to customize a unique learning plan, as well as to empower them to have the confidence to pursue any mathematical problem. Her philosophy is that anyone and everyone is capable of being a successful mathematics student. Geanie is a patient, experienced, and knowledgeable tutor who can explain difficult math topics in several different ways, until it “clicks” for the student.
Jeremiah Bruner
Jeremiah is an experienced math teacher, having taught mathematics for 16 years. He has worked at both public and private schools, and he is currently the math department chair at the New Roads school in Santa Monica. He has taught everything from beginning Algebra to Calculus, both at the regular and honors levels. Because of his extensive teaching experience, Jeremiah is able to quickly assess students’ needs and areas where they may need help, and he easily adapts his instruction to meet the needs of different learning styles and profiles.
A graduate of Stanford University, Jeremiah takes particular pride in his ability to make complex concepts seem simple as well as his ability to explain a topic or concept several different ways if a student isn’t fully grasping one approach. He particularly enjoys helping students reach those “aha” moments. In his spare time, Jeremiah enjoys going out to eat (sushi and Mexican food are his favorites), staying in shape, and relaxing at home while watching a good sporting event.
Kelley Wilcox
Kelley is a math teacher at Culver City Middle School in Southern California. She has taught 6th-8th grade math, Algebra I, and Geometry for the past 36 years. She has a business education credential, a math credential, as well as a Master’s in Educational Technology. She has been tutoring students on an individual basis in subjects from Algebra to Precalculus. Kelley leads the International Travel program at her school where she has taken groups of 25-75 students all over Europe, South America, and Japan. While teaching is her passion, she also enjoys traveling and hiking all over the world with her son and daughter.
Peter Smith
Pete is currently in his second-year teaching Upper School Math and Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences. Prior to moving out to the west coast, Pete taught middle and high-school math in Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Tallahassee, Florida, working in both private and independent schools. Now in his 10th year of teaching, Pete has had valuable experiences working with various ages and levels of math students. Fully student-centered teaching has been a big part of Pete’s success in connecting with students and allowing them the space to learn in ways that work best for them. With a M.Ed from Notre Dame of Maryland and a BA in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University, Pete’s educational background has afforded him the ability to teach the whole student. Pete also has years of experience as a coach of a variety of sports and was a 4-year member of the baseball team at JHU. Pete teaches with high energy and excitement and gives each student a chance to be themselves in a positive and safe environment.
Ryan Zachos
Ryan has been teaching high school math for 20 years in both public and private schools. He currently teaches Geometry and AP Statistics at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes where he’s the advisor for Student Council and a Varsity Softball coach. Ryan earned his BS in Mathematics Education from Wayne State University and his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Oakland University. Ryan is passionate about equity in mathematics education and has devoted many years to the nationally recognized Math Corps Summer Program in Detroit which is a part of the Center for Excellence and Equity in Mathematics at Wayne State. Ryan taught math and coached baseball in West Bloomfield, MI to begin his career. Before settling in California, his teaching journey also took him to schools in Nashville, TN and Boulder, CO. In addition to teaching, Ryan is also a professional singer who has worked with many artists including Camila Cabello and Alicia Keys. He is also a fitness enthusiast and home barista who greatly enjoys spending time with his son.
Salpie Sekayan
Salpie has been a Math and Science teacher for more than 10 years and currently teaches at the Archer School for Girls. Teaching is one of Salpie’s greatest joys, and she specializes in Math, Chemistry, and Physics. Through teaching, Salpie can see the joy of knowledge and understanding, helping her students get over the problems every day, and often in new ways. Nothing is more rewarding to Salpie than that moment when her students finally grasp the concepts and run into new conclusions and applications. Being born and raised in the Middle East, Salpie is trilingual in English, Arabic, and Armenian. She is a supportive, encouraging, patient, and highly organized person, with the ability to put people at ease. Salpie always does her best to adjust to each of her student’s needs and capacities, bringing active lesson plans with suitable educational methods, and creating a positive and productive learning environment.