Ian

Ian

Video Creator and Tutor

I’m Ian, a recent graduate of Mathematical Finance from the University of Waterloo. I’ve loved teaching others and helping them learn since 6 years ago, and I’ve loved math since 10 years before that. I’ve tutored students from elementary school to high school, in math ranging from Prealgebra to Calculus. I’ve also led classes in contest math, from Mathcounts to the Math Kangaroo, and from AMC8 to the AIME.

To me, math is the tool that allows people to both express the properties of the world and communicate them to others–how many, how large, how small, how long. Far from a dry blackboard with strange letters and stranger symbols, math can be just as fun as it is useful. That said, this fun is stifled all too often and leads to several fallacies that damage learning:

“I’m not a numbers person.”

No one is. Like other skills, math ability is the result of learning and not some inherent trait. You don’t have to be a natural cyclist to be able to ride a bike, and you don’t have to be born in a specific country to learn a particular language.

“There’s too much to memorize.”

Math is often taught like a dozen different and unintuitive concepts when it could be presented as 4 variants of 3 simple ideas instead. Or, more commonly, a single idea with 12 applications.

I believe that math can be made both easy to understand and fun to learn, which are the two guiding principles I use whenever I help students. Unfortunately, typical math instruction is bogged down in oversized classes, overworked teachers, and standardized curriculum. Isn’t it strange that 30 students who all learn differently (some visually, some with hands-on examples, some with independent inquiry) are all expected to learn the same material the same way from the same teacher? This is why tutoring is so powerful. It gives the unique student the personalization and distinct teaching style they deserve.

Looking forward to working with you!

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Topics Ian can teach: 
 
  • Middle School and high school math ranging from 5th-12th grade, Pre-algebra – Calc BC.
  • Contest math: as an ex-USAMO qualifier, Ian can train contestants in anything from the AMC8 to the AIME.
 
Decks featuring Ian: practice questions in Differentiation, Applications of Differentiation, Integrals, Applications of Integration decks.

[email protected]

Testimonials

JS (parent)
New York
Ian has been an invaluable resource for my son’s mathematical journey in developing critical problem solving skills. He not only has a deep understanding and knowledge of mathematics from algebra to number theory to calculus and beyond, but can masterfully teach the difficult concepts and help connect the dots. As a parent, I appreciate his open communication style and earnest desire to see his students succeed.
ET (parent)
New York
Ian is an outstanding math tutor. He strikes the right balance between explaining the mathematical theory behind the problem, diving into a new class of problems at the right pace and keeping the conversation fun and engaging. My son really likes studying with him and is truly interested and engaged. Ian is a thorough, thoughtful and strategic tutor and an excellent mathematician. I highly recommend him both for assisting with school material and competition prep.
DJ, Parent
New York
Ian has truly been an exceptional math tutor for our family; both of our daughters have developed a stronger foundation in mathematics while also cultivating a genuine interest in the subject. What sets Ian apart is his ability to make math not only enjoyable but also relevant to real-world applications by showing the beauty of mathematical steps and reasonings behind it, instead of memorizing countless formulas to eventually forget. We are immensely grateful for Ian's impact on our daughters' learning journey and wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone seeking to not only excel in math but become critical thinkers.