Creative Technologist with three years of professional experience teaches math in New York City.

Find out more about Sammy

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I have always been proficient in math. I loved that math usually led to absolute and definite answers instead of the open ended abstract solutions I found in other subjects. Math was also the reason I pursued a degree in engineering.
  
  After a few years working as a data engineer, I started to miss doing actual mathematics and decided to soft launched an instagram profile called @quick.maffs where I would start building a math community. (I think @quick.maffs will be making a comeback this year!) Then during the Covid-19 pandemic, I learned of Superprof, created a profile and the rest was history! Now I get to consistently tutor math, make connections with new students and help them along their mathematics journey!

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  Math is a universal language. People of diverse languages may not be able to comprehend one another but they can communicate with math. From basic operations and fractions to geometry and equations of lines, there are endless topics to discuss in math. However, my least favorite topic in math does include word problems because who wants to worry about words in math? (We must be able to do word problems however, because in the real world that's often the only type of math you get.)

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  While I was completing my bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, I found myself in math courses that I didn't even know existed. At times it felt like I was in deep water. Thus, I took advantage of the tutoring that was made available at the school. And it was at tutoring where I met a math genius who literally knew everything about math. His name was Jhevon Smith and he always inspired me to believe that I could also be skillful in math. There was never a time that he was oblivious to a question I posed and my goal as a tutor is to be that caliber of a resource to the student I take on. (If you ever read this, thank you Jhevon for all the help that you provided me in my studies!)

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  The most important qualities required to be a good tutor are patience, confidence and personal study. No one learns in the same way and not everybody learns at the same pace. However, no matter how difficult the subject, we all can learn. But no one can learn unless they study and are taught. And surely no one can teach if they have not first learned.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  One powerful anecdote that I learned during my days at school was a short story about a teacher who gave instructions to his student to go fill a pot with water at the river and return with it. The catch however, was that the pot had a few holes in it and every time that the student would arrive back to his teacher, the pot was nearly empty. After being sent out several times, the student became discouraged and told the teacher that it was impossible to bring to him the pot filled with water. Finally, the teacher revealed that he didn't care for the pot to be filled but instead for the pot to be cleaned and it was at that moment that the student realized that the pot shined after undergoing the repeated flux of water.
  
  As we consistently learn, we may not always keep all the information that we obtain. However, our minds are refreshed and strengthened through consistent learning and practice.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  The difficulties that I often faced in math was being able to move along to subsequent topics without fully grasping previous ones. However, I was always able to resolve the issues I encountered with more practice and most importantly, rest. Sometimes, rest is more effective than endless practice because it allows the brain to natural absorb, in its own time, the information that we try to shove into our minds as we attempt to keep up with the pace of classes and exams.
  
  
  Also, I learned that having a solid foundation provides the strength needed to uphold complex structures. A good understanding of basic and lower level math provides the skills necessary to comprehend complex and theoretical mathematics.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I am passionate about learning and making new connections. There are so many hidden connections between different industries and fields of study. Taking the time to inspect these hidden gems can provide fresh perspectives and new worlds to explore and can result in a deeper understanding of a topic or subject. My network of connections currently includes engineering, education and music and arts.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering this interview questions :-P)?

  What makes me a Superprof is the fact that I am a Superstudent. Learning never ends and if you have found yourself at the end of learning, you must have also discovered how to divide a number by 0.
  
  As a Superprof, I ensure that my students know that I am not just their math tutor. I am their math partner, learning alongside them.