PrepNow Tutor - Eleanor P.
An enthusiastic and creative educator, Eleanor has over 20 years of high school teaching experience. She holds a BS with honors in chemical engineering from California Institute of Technology, an MSEd in secondary education and social policy from Northwestern University, and an ESL endorsement. Throughout her career, Eleanor has taught AP and honors chemistry, physics, algebra, and English learner courses, and has served as a mentor to new teachers and a professional team leader. In addition to her classroom work, Eleanor has experience in educational assessment development, STEM enrichment programming, and data analysis, bringing a strong blend of academic expertise and real-world problem-solving to her teaching.
Eleanor started teaching after completing several scientific research internships in college. “While the research process intrigued me, I realized I wanted a career focused on directly impacting youth and their learning,” Eleanor says. One of her proudest moments happened in the spring of 2020 during the pandemic shutdown. “A student who had struggled with severe anxiety all year wrote in her end-of-year survey: ‘One thing I miss is walking into Ms. Park's classroom every morning and being completely overwhelmed with joy,’” Eleanor recalls. “Knowing I created a space where anxiety was replaced by joy—even in a crisis—is exactly why I teach.” In addition to her subject teaching, Eleanor has extensive test prep training and experience.
“My teaching and tutoring style is defined by high energy, spontaneity, and a deep commitment to creating a joyful, safe learning environment,” Eleanor says. “One result of my engineering and constructivist educational training is that I firmly believe that there are many different ways of thinking, and consequently, many valid ways to approach a single problem. Because of this, I love using open-ended questions that challenge students to think critically and develop skills to tackle any problem rather than just memorize steps.” Eleanor’s philosophy behind her teaching is that this kind of deep learning requires a judgment-free space. As such, she’s passionate about figuring things out with her students and unafraid to make mistakes if it helps a student succeed. “By blending rigorous cognitive training with an upbeat, collaborative environment, my hope is that the time together feels less like a chore and more like a team challenge we are conquering together," Eleanor says.
As a student, Eleanor participated in choir, swimming, and soccer, and received numerous awards. She enjoys gardening, audiobooks, DIY side quests, and cheering on her teens. “As a mom of two teens, I try to connect with youth both as a rigorous academic coach as well as a supportive and judgment-free ally,” Eleanor shares.
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