For high-school students looking for help with their regular coursework, there are two related but distinct services I offer.
General Academic Tutoring: For general academic tutoring, I have experience with almost every subject a high-school student is likely to come across. Barring foreign languages, if I didn’t take the course myself in High School, I took it in college. But even for the few subject that I’m less familiar with, my approach is always to read the required textbooks or literature alongside my students, and provide guidance and insight every step of the way. If they’re struggling to comprehend an author’s intended meaning, I provide quick and easy reading tools to distill prose and then write on it with clarity. If they find left-brain subjects like Calculus or Chemistry challenging, I provide tricks of the trade to solve equations with greater speed and simplicity. I have extra worksheets, extra readings, and extra study skills to help any student bring his or her best work to the course. All that’s required in return is commitment and accountability. Which brings me to the next service I offer:
Productivity and Time Management Coaching: If a student is struggling with a class, it’s not necessarily the case that they’re having a hard time with the course material — sometimes, the course-load is the bigger obstacle. This is all too common in an increasingly competitive academic culture, where colleges are seeking well-rounded applicants with protean interests and abilities. By the time they are juniors and seniors, most students are juggling a large load of after school activities — sports, extracurriculars, student government, a job — and often, there simply isn’t enough time to put in one’s best work for everything. Having a productivity coach can be crucial in these cases.
There are countless tips, tricks and strategies out there to boost our productivity, to help us focus more deeply, and to churn out our best writing, our best thinking, or our best test performances — all while reducing stress and overwhelm. This can be as simple as determining low vs high priority tasks, or as sophisticated as memorization techniques that are drawn out over several weeks with specialized timing frequencies. For students who are struggling with reading comprehension, dozing off 30 minutes into their reading assignments, or for those hopeless procrastinators who are finishing their papers minutes before the deadline, it can be very helpful to have some help. My goal is to tailor a customized strategy for each student that draws from the latest research on productivity, stress and time management, and habituation.
Doing well in high school requires higher level study skills, solid work, and discipline. Having a coach to provide guidance and accountability can make the difference when trying to incorporate these qualities into a busy homework routine. It may also give a student that extra edge when applying to their reach school.
Contact: If any of this sounds like it’s ringing a bell, contact me for a free consultation, and we can discuss what a customized tutoring plan would look like for you.
Henrik Herb - Education Consultant 