Kirk

Russell C. from San Diego, CA

Update: With my math class being completed, my time with Kirk has come to an end--it is a true, real life example of something being bittersweet if there ever was one. I would simply like to say that you will probably not find a better math tutor than Kirk. Despite my math skills being relatively weak, it was honestly a pleasure to work with Kirk 3-4 times a week for the 8 week math class I HAD to pass. You can read what I have already wrote below about his skills as a tutor, but what I wanted to stress was just how good of a dude Kirk is. He never watches the clock and tries to pinch pennies out of you, he never gets frustrated if you're having an off day and he is even willing to meet with you when he is feeling a little ill. I had no idea when I called Kirk up for the first time that I would be meeting someone I hope to be in contact with for the rest of my life. Honestly, whether you are in need of some fine tuning or are in dire straights, do yourself a favor a call this man and give him one session--that's all it will take before you know you're working with the Mr. Miyagi of math! Normally I just click the 5 stars and carry on with whatever I was doing, but I felt like I should actually write a review for a change as people do tend to read these. Rest assuredly Kirk is worth every penny. He teaches you how to really do math as if you were a small child trying to build a race car engine--that's a funny way to say that he is very meticulous with his instruction. He doesn't assume you know or understand anything, instead, he always takes it upon himself to tell you the right way to do something, and why you should do it that way. I went into the military after high school (graduated with geometry) and hadn't taken any math in over ten years when I got into my college algebra class. Kirk is the absolute perfect tutor if you need someone to reteach you how to perform the basic operations and functions of algebra and instill good habits and problem solving techniques as you move forward in your math. If you were like me and were basically starting over in math and needing to get through a difficult (relatively) college transfer level class, than I can not recommend him highly enough.

Cyrus D. from San Diego, CA

Kirk is a great tutor and really knows how to explain math in a way everyone can understand. He explains all of the different terms, what the question is really asking for, and then gives simple step-by-step instructions on how to solve the problems. I've taken several lessons from Kirk and went from receiving a 30% on my first test before Kirk, to receiving an 87% on the second test. Highly recommended!

Andrea R. from San Diego, CA

I feel you can be good at anything with the right teacher, and when it comes to math there is a select few who can help you understand the concepts, formulas etc. Kirk is one of those people. I'm taking statistics and in the class we were at a point where I was totally confused. It was honestly a waste of time for me to go to the class because I would leave everyday more confused UNTIL I stumbled across WyzAnt and met Kirk!!! He thoroughly taught me 3 hard chapters of statistics within 2 sessions, I would have never thought I would be able to do confidence intervals and hypothesis testing! I am so grateful and appreciative of Kirk and he will definitely be the first person I call when I run into more problems with math! He is so worth the money and the time!

Maria P. from San Diego, CA

There are not words to describe my appreciation for the help Kirk has provided to my son. There are good teachers and, as we all know, not so good teachers in the world. My son had the latter and was struggling in his college statistics class. Math has always been a difficult area for him, but combined with a poor quality teacher, he was concerned he would not survive the course. Then we found Kirk, and what an amazingly gifted teacher he is. My son feels so fortunate to have met him. A good teacher is so important, but Kirk is beyond just good. He has that rare ability that takes teaching to an art form. Hire him if you need help. You will be so impressed by his ability to explain math in a way you totally understand it, maybe for the first time. He is worth every penny of his fee, and he gives so much of himself that his help has been priceless to my son. Kirk's help has not only helped my son excel in this class, but Kirk has restored my son's confidence and taught him that he can learn and do well in any math class. Thank you, Kirk!

Alex S. from Santee, CA

Great tutoring lesson. Haven't taken any math lessons/classes for over 15 years and I was nervous and embarrassed going into the lesson, but Kirk was great and made me feel comfortable.

E B. from San Diego, CA

I am an adult learner, finishing my BS in business after years out of the educational process. My Business Math class has terrified me, as I have had severe math anxiety since about 7th grade. The math content is an integral part of the business program, so it terrifies me all the more, especially in the accelerated format required for this schooling. I looked on WyzAnt as a matter of desperation, already behind the ball, and I found Kirk. We have had approximately two tutoring sessions per week over the last three weeks. What I found very helpful: He uses colored pens for each step in the process. Sounds simple, but it's really, really helpful to determine which piece of writing is the problem, which is action on the problem, and which is a part of my instructional notes for later reference. He also gave me lots of handouts with step-by-step instructions - "cheat sheets." One of my biggest problems is trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do with a question and where to start (seems to be the most common problem for my math classmates as well). "How to find the y-intercept," "How to graph a quadratic function" or "How to factor a trinomial" are examples, and it becomes a matter of following steps. This makes math much less terrifying for me. Kirk doesn't zip through it at light speed. He is methodical, with a pretty even demeanor. This is very important for me - and I assume you, for anyone else needing a math tutor - because anyone needing to a math problem needs to understand the sequence, and the process, and do the calculations, so going too quickly is detrimental. I need to be clear on each step or the whole thing goes sideways. Most "math people" find math so instinctual that they tend to zip through an explanation. Kirk asks me what my goals are for the lesson each time. Then he concentrates on that thing only. If I ask him for broader basic concepts, he does that, too. I had an open-notes math midterm test last night (basic algebra, equation of the line, functions, graphing, etc.). I got an A. I don't think I have ever had an A on a math test in my life, let alone under these circumstances. I still have the anxiety, but I now have hope. Kirk is expensive, but the cost/benefit analysis for this integral part of my education makes the decision a no-brainer.

McKenna W. from San Diego, CA

Everything is starting to make sense! I got an A on my in class quiz thanks to Kirk T. He helped me understand when to use the different t,z, and chi squared tables and what formulas go with what type of problem. I also understand how to come to conclusions on the null and alt hypothesis testing!

Sean J. from San Diego, CA

Kirk explains everything in a way that is easily understood and then eases you into more complex problems. The colored pens really help later on when you're studying the material.

Denton D. from La Jolla, CA

Kirk worked with my daughter on pre-calculus prior to her first test of the semester. His patience and clear explanations of the coursework was greatly appreciated. He also provided her with additional materials and handouts that reinforced the areas covered in the tutoring session. My daughter received an A on the test. It was her highest test grade in several years. Thanks Kirk!

Kristina P. from San Diego, CA

Kirk met with me the morning before a big test and eased my nerves. He went over everything I needed to know and explained it in way that I understood rather than just showing me the work. He was very prepared and had made his own worksheets for how to do functions, they were so helpful and easy to understand. I was able to remember all the info I needed for the test after meeting with him and will definitely be keeping him around for all my future math classes.

Andrea K. from La Jolla, CA

Kirk hopefully, fingers crossed, helped my son graduate. He had an outdated book and a teacher who didn't have a lot of knowledge on the subject. With the help of Kirk my son was able to pass his first final and is taking the second today. Thank you Kirk for coming to the rescue!

Jessica O. from San Diego, CA

We cannot thank Kirk enough for the time he spent working with our daughter this evening on such short notice. Kirk was very professional and extremely thorough with every aspect of his chapter review, even teaching our daughter new tricks. He cares very deeply about the student understanding the subject matter, and is very generous with his time.

Melissa J. from Encinitas, CA

He was readily available to meet with me. He was prepared and went above and beyond. He made review sheets with laws and rules I could use to help me with my class and future classes. He uses colored pens to see the problems better and understand them. He used metaphors for me to remember equations and placements. I would definitely recommend him.

Donna P. from Saratoga, CA

Kirk has proven to be an amazing tutor for our daughter, providing professional, reliable, expert help with her college Algebra. We feel so lucky to have found him on WyzAnt, not knowing what to expect, but with his patient, positive style, our daughter received the highest grade in the class on her first test. Kirk is also easy to get a hold of, answering emails quickly and sending us a weekly update, which we did not expect and is not the case with other tutors we have used. We couldn't recommend Kirk more highly!

Sharon H. from El Cajon, CA

Kirk has by far been the best tutor in the area of College Algebra and Trigonometry. He is extremely reliable and very knowledgeable in this area. Kirk is a little more expensive than other tutors, however, he is well worth the extra few dollars. He is pleasant to work with and has a wonderful personality. I would highly recommend Kirk for tutoring. You would not be disappointed or feel helpless!!!

Karen M. from San Diego, CA

Kirk taught me more about algebra then my own teacher did in three weeks! In three hours Kirk was able to prepare me for my test and he gave me a lot of confidence. I highly recommend Kirk, he's worth the money!

Heidi I. from San Diego, CA

HE TAUGHT ME CALCULUS IN A WEEK. Do I have your attention now? Not only that, but Im going to my dream school now. I don't generally review people, but kirk seriously deserves his 5 STARS!! I had to learn Calculus in a WEEK to pass this math exam to get into my top university. I didn't realize the exam had calculus on it until last minute, because I was so focused on my other classes. My dream school ranks along BROWN AND DARTMOUTH and this math exam was VERY difficult, and included calculus. I had learned pre-calculus in high school, but that was two years ago for me, and I forgot a lot of the material. I contacted Kirk and one other top math tutor on this site, as I had to find someone immediately and willing to help me. The other tutor was rude and refused to work with me, saying: "You can't learn calculus in a week. Logs, etc. are too difficult to learn in a short amount of time." But then KIRK replied and he was SO NICE and BELIEVED IN ME. Kirk sat with me for hours and we reviewed everything I needed to learn. He even came back to me after my session and worked out some problems that we had difficulty with, ON HIS OWN TIME! and then taught it to me. He was willing to work with whatever I needed help with. AND TALK ABOUT ORGANIZED!! He has his colored pens and separate handouts with STEPS on how to proceed with problems. He was there to talk to me 20 minutes before my exam, as I was freaking out and he calmed me down and explained stuff to me on the phone- and didn't even charge me. Honestly, Kirk wants to help you if you show effort and he appreciates you if you want to learn the material and truly understand it. I was complimented on my attributes (like being a hard worker, and focused) And he told me what I needed to do before the exam, and what to think about DURING the exam. His voice was with me during the 5+ hours math exam. And guess what? I PASSED. I am now traveling abroad and going to my dream school. I most likely would have failed without his help. We are now friends. He gave me advice on other things as well, as I was having roommate problems, etc. And he just rearranged my focus on the IMPORTANT things, like passing this exam. Thank you Kirk- YOU HAVE TRULY SET UP MY LIFE PATH FOR ME- I wish you the best. You are just fabulous for supporting me, and truly a kind soul. Thank you again.

Stacey P. from San Diego, CA

I would highly recommend Kirk T. as a tutor. I was one week into a 5-week online statistics class at GCU and completely lost and panicked. I have never needed a tutor in 60 years and went online on a Sunday to try and get immediate help for Monday and Tuesday. I chose Kirk because of his online reviews and success with compressed courses like mine. He responded within an hour to my text and after a few texts he agreed to meet me early in the week like I needed and continued to do so through the rest of the course. He was available by text and email when I was sick and lost vision in one eye for a few days. He is a very, very kind, patient and professional. As a teacher he is superior-using verbal instruction reinforced with excellent written and drawn explanations that I used at home. I passed the course with an A but also learned a great deal that I needed in my research class now. I am very grateful for his help and expertise and if you are looking for a great tutor call Kirk!

Troy R. from San Diego, CA

He goes an extra mile to make sure you learn from each lesson. He helps you visualize each step of the problem by using different colored pens.

Keri S. from Mission Viejo, CA

Made calculus understandable and clear in a very short time. Able to do well in a condensed 3 week college calculus course

Stephanie M. from San Diego, CA

Great experience, took time to make sure I understood the questions and how we got the answer. Best part was the hand outs he gave and also the shortcuts on my calculator. Will use Kirk in the future for my final.

Megan F. from San Diego, CA

Kirk tutored me last spring for math 120 (business calculus). He is very methodical and a great teacher, and is very patient! He really knew his information and was able to make calc understandable for me. I got an A- in my calc class, which was a miracle after where my grade was after the second midterm, before I met with Kirk. He is also very prepared and lets you keep detailed notes and handouts to help with studying after your session.