Private Sessions
Purpose
Private sessions focus on strengthening how students reason through physics problems within their current course. The emphasis is not on completing assignments or preparing for a specific test date, but on developing disciplined model selection, interpretation, and structured problem construction.
Meaningful improvement occurs through sustained, deliberate work rather than short-term fixes.
What Happens in a Session
Sessions center on making reasoning explicit. Work typically includes:
• Students expected to attempt assigned problems in advance and bring specific questions or difficulties to discuss during the session
• Clarifying the physical structure of a problem
• Identifying candidate principles or models
• Determining which principle governs the situation
• Constructing the solution step by step with reasoning made explicit
• Testing transfer with modified variations
The goal is clarity and correctness of reasoning, not speed or repetition.
Typical Engagement
Most students meet once per week while they are enrolled in a physics course. Many engagements continue for a semester or longer, since the reasoning skills developed early in the course support later topics as well. The goal is not ongoing dependency but strengthening the student’s ability to approach unfamiliar problems independently.
What This Is Not
Private sessions are not:
• Homework completion appointments
• Emergency grade rescue
• Formula memorization review
• High-volume test preparation
The focus remains disciplined reasoning within the framework of the student’s course.
Who Private Sessions Are For
Private sessions are best suited for students who are willing to think carefully through unfamiliar problems and work explicitly with underlying principles.
Students seeking last-minute preparation or answer-checking may find the approach misaligned.
Where Sessions Take Place
Sessions may be conducted:
• online
• in the student’s home
• at the Lakeview Branch of the Peoria Public Library
The appropriate format depends on the student’s location, schedule, and learning situation, and can be discussed during the initial conversation.
Initial Conversation
The first step is to submit the Apply form, which provides information about the student’s course and current situation.
If the responses indicate strong alignment, I will follow up by email to schedule a brief initial conversation with the parent and student. This meeting allows us to discuss the student’s situation in more detail and determine whether the instructional approach is a good fit.
If we decide to move forward, the first tutoring session is then scheduled and a consistent meeting structure is established.
→ Apply