PrepNow Tutor - Annie H.
Annie has over 20 years of experience helping students learn math and increase their scores on standardized tests. She received a BS in biology from Stanford University and an MS in forest ecosystem science from the University of Maine. After graduating with her master's, she started teaching part-time at her local state university—she loved it so much she stayed for 18 years! Once her kids were grown, she left the university, moved to an old farm, and started a small farming business. In addition to tutoring, she grows an array of foods and sells them at her local farmers' markets.
The first course Annie taught on her own was called "Math and the Humanities," which explored the connections between math and disciplines such as art, music, history, and philosophy. Needless to say, it was not your typical math course! "I discovered that many of my students were terrified of math, despite being perfectly capable students in other subject areas," she explains. "This started a years-long quest to alleviate my students' math anxiety." Annie quickly found that working one-on-one with students helped reduce their learning anxiety and overall stress. She soon became the director of the Math Activities Center, her university's peer-tutoring center for mathematics. In this role, she tutored basic arithmetic through calculus and beyond (including test prep) to thousands of students!
Annie's approach helps students build real-life connections with academic content. That way, they are more motivated to acquire and apply new—often challenging—concepts. "As much as possible, I practice active learning techniques such as hands-on, project-based learning and team problem-solving," she explains. While logical reasoning and problem-solving are foundational to mathematics, Annie's goal is to show students how to employ these skills in all disciplines. "As a tutor, I see myself in a support role, helping the tutee activate prior knowledge and develop the skills and confidence they need to learn independently," she concludes.
While Annie was teaching full-time and managing the math tutoring center, she obtained an EdD in educational leadership from Plymouth State University. As a doctoral student, she was awarded the Distinguished Adjunct Teaching Award.
In her free time, Annie enjoys backpacking, winter camping, and backcountry skiing. She also loves to travel. "Some of the places I've been to are Iceland, Nepal, Kenya, the Yucatan, and Bavaria," she adds. She has made over 1,000 art quilts in the course of her life and recently learned how to make traditional braided rugs. Fun fact: Annie has been a professional Jazzercise instructor for over 8 years!
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