Mission

Through my Higher Math Help service, I strive to make expert, individualized math help available at a competitive price to college and high school students, regardless of their geographical location.

Math Books on Shelves

About Your Higher Math Help Tutor

Photo of Greg Stanton

My name is Greg Stanton, and I’m the sole owner and tutor of Higher Math Help. In every session, I keep in mind that each student has had a distinct experience with mathematics. Whether a student has a history of excelling or of struggling in their studies of math, I never underestimate his or her potential. In tutoring sessions, I always make sure students demonstrate understanding and encourage them if they get distracted or have difficulties. Being encouraging is the easy part, because helping each student to gain understanding and confidence is what I like best!

Qualifications

In addition to running Higher Math Help since 2009, I’ve studied, tutored, and taught a range of mathematical subjects. For example, I …

  • served as an Associate Instructor at Indiana University in Bloomington for the courses
    • M118 – Finite Mathematics,
    • M119 – Brief Survey of Calculus I,
    • M025 – Pre-Calculus Mathematics, and
    • J111 – Intro. to College Math I;
  • completed 35 hours of graduate courses in mathematics;
  • graduated magna cum laude with highest distinction in mathematics as a Chancellor’s Scholar and Edmund J. James Scholar from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign;
  • designed and taught high-school algebra and geometry courses for the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Upward Bound program (summers 2007, 2008, and 2009);
  • taught second-semester Algebra I at Herron High School in Indianapolis, Indiana (summer 2011);
The Riemann Sphere and the Extended Complex Plane
  • initiated a system of mastery quizzes and after-school peer tutoring for my Geometry and Pre-Calculus classes at Anderson Preparatory Academy in Anderson, Indiana (long-term substitute);
  • led instruction as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for Intermediate Algebra and served as a bilingual (English-Spanish) math tutor at St. Louis Community College in St. Louis, Missouri;
  • tutored high-school and introductory college-level math at Simply Math and Reading in St. Louis, Missouri;
  • worked as a math tutor for the University of Illinois;
  • assisted calculus instruction as a Teacher Training for Undergraduates Fellow at the University of Illinois; and
  • completed two Research Experiences for Undergraduates in mathematics at the University of Illinois.

Tutoring Philosophy

It would be a mistake to think that solving problems is a purely ‘intellectual affair’; determination and emotions play an important role. (G. Polya)

An effective math tutor is mindful of the short and long term goals that the student hopes to accomplish through tutoring. Helping the student to attain these goals requires more than an ability to solve homework problems. A good tutor …

  • strengthens problem solving skills by leading the student to discover solutions, often by a judicious use of hints;
  • emphasizes understanding rather than memorization, when appropriate;
  • explains concepts using terminology and techniques appropriate to the student’s course of study;
  • devises small quizzes;
  • helps the student create organized study guides;
Least Squares Via Orthogonal Projection
  • assesses continually the strengths and weaknesses of each student in order to individualize instructional techniques;
  • creates visual aids to supplement verbal explanations;
  • constructs examples to introduce abstract concepts;
  • and designs exercises to isolate sources of confusion.

In addition, a good math tutor encourages the student to ask questions in tutoring and in class, to collaborate with classmates when appropriate, to establish communication lines with the course instructor, and to develop the independent study skills necessary to reach the student’s goals.

The Switch to Online Tutoring

I began Higher Math Help in Bloomington, Indiana and later relocated to Lafayette, Indiana, which gave me the opportunity to work with students in a different set of courses (engineers take a lot of math!). While I had previously met most of my students at an agreed upon location, I began focusing on online sessions in the fall of 2013. I soon realized that the online tutoring feels the same as in-person tutoring, except that the students are able to review the video recordings of their sessions, which they really like. After holding over 250 sessions online, I decided to switch entirely to online tutoring.

Another advantage of online tutoring is that the students and I both have more mobility. I’ve been able to work with

  • students while they’re away from campus visiting family (for example, to prepare for an exam over fall break or to get an early start during winter break on spring semester courses), and
  • students taking courses during the summer at a local college closer to home.

On my end, it provides the flexibility to choose where I live. While I enjoyed my time in Indiana, I’ve always wanted to live near mountains, and I decided to relocate to the Boulder-Denver area of Colorado. While making the transition across the country, I advertised my services directly to students at each of the universities listed in the section below.

  • Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana
  • Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
  • University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri (Mizzou)
  • University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado
  • I also tutor students anywhere else in the world with an internet connection.

So, if I look familiar, you might have seen me walking around your campus and putting up flyers!