Please note:
Parents' reviews of tutors are the opinions of Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different.
Announcements from tutors are accepted without review as a service to local parents. Please always check references before hiring!

• Multiple Sciences
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

Multiple Sciences

I am writing to give a sincere recommendation for Josh Shiode, a highly qualified tutor for high school level math and science. We first learned of Josh last week through Chat Hull, a tutor who we read about on BPN. We were desperately looking for a tutor who could help our 16-year old daughter with AP Calculus and Mechanical Physics. Chat was fully booked for the semester, but suggested that we contact Josh, one of his grad-student colleagues at Cal who has a high level of success in tutoring students in need of extra help and support in science and math. Josh responded promptly to my (multiple)emails, thoughtfully answered all of my questions, and helped us to come up with a plan to help our daughter on her way towards better grades. He is efficient, generous with his time, and from our experience, an incredibly nice person! He can be reached at jhshiode@berkeley.edu. Monika

Chemistry, Math Tutor(s) - BHS

Hi, We are looking for a Chemistry and a Math tutor for our sophomore at Berkeley High - possibly the same person, doesn't have to be. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks so much. Concerned BHS Parents

Biology Tutors

AP Biology review session/tutor needed
10th grader would like a couple of review sessions before the AP Biology test. Evenings or weekends.

My 10th grader needs help with AP Chem, can anyone pass along the name of an East Bay tutor? Anon.

I want to recommend Steve Brand as a chemistry tutor. He provided great guidance to my son during the second semester of AP Chemistry at Berkeley High.

Not only did my son learn what he needed about how to approach the chemistry problems before him, but his confidence and pride in himself as a person who could tackle and master challenging work grew.

When he started with Mr. Brand, my son was feeling defeated, so much so that when new material was presented he basically stopped listening as he did not expect to understand.

Mr. Brand's support extended beyond the tutoring hour, supplying practice examples and instruction on how to strategically approach questions.

By the beginning of May, he was able to grapple with the AP practice tests as comfortably as he does when engaged in subjects in which he experiences himself as capable. When I asked how the exam went, he replied that he felt very well prepared. Parent of now confident AP student

Our Berkeley High sophomore is in need of tutoring in chemistry and geometry. We'd like her to have the support she needs in these areas as soon as possible before the semester is much further along. We're looking for tutors for each subject (unless we luck out and find one individual who can tutor in both areas). We're in North Berkeley (but can travel as needed) and she's available after school and on the weekends. Recommendations greatly appreciated. Many thanks

I am looking for a grad student or someone similar who can tutor my junior-in-high school son in AP Chemistry. Prefer experienced tutor with references. Oakland or Piedmont area a plus. Thank you. High Schooler's Mom

I highly recommend Steve Brand. Steve tutored both of my children in AP Chemistry over the last several years with excellent results. He is a former BHS teacher who knows the curriculum and he was able to quickly see where my kids needed additional help. More importantly, as an experienced teacher, he knew how to approach the material in a way that was understandable and even interesting. He clearly knows and loves the subject matter and brings real enthusiasm to his teaching. He is also well organized and kind. He can be reached at stephenbrand@comcast.net Margaret

Chemistry tutor: I highly recommend Steve Brand. He is a retired Berkeley high chemistry teacher, so he knows the program and teachers there. We hired him for 5 sessions at the end of the year. He was excellent at helping our son look at his returned labs and tests to see how the answers could have been more complete. In covering upcoming materials for tests he would say ''this is what the teacher will be looking for in your answer''. He was patient and positive. His contact information is stephenbrand at comcast.net, 415-456-4243. M

Can anyone recommend a tutor for chemistry? My child is failing in her basic chem (not AP) class at BHS. Need someone ASAP at a reasonable rate if possible. Deborah

My son is a junior at BHS and is struggling with chemistry. I am looking for a chem tutor who can help once a week. We live in Berkeley. Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated

we are seeking a tutor in Chemistry to assist my son on a consistent basis per week during the BHS academic year
ematabele

I am highly recommending Andrew Gordon Kirsch, a current UCLA student, as an excellent Chemistry tutor. We hired him to help with summer Chem. He is practical and patient providing positive reinforcement all along the way. He is courteous and reliable. He motivates. My daughter passed the class with flying colors. He will be around until late Sept. before he leaves for school. You can reach Andrew at: AndrewTheTutor[at]yahoo.com 510-526-7371 Candi

Paul Osborne, Paul The Tutor, is doing his School Readiness classes again this August. I have seen these classes do a wonderful job of getting students ready for math and science classes. Courses last one week, and he does a different course for each math level from pre- algebra to algebra 2 and for chemistry. He should have information about these classes on his website www.paulthetutor.com You can also reach him by email at paulthetutor[at]paulthetutor.com or by phone at 510.301.5302
Marta

I am currently looking for a chemistry tutor for my 14 yr old son who is enrolled at BHS. He has fallen behind and we are looking for someone to help him catch-up and perhaps continue through out the balance of the school year. Denise

Can anyone recommend a good Chemistry tutor for a BHS freshman who's in over his head with Advanced Chemistry? anon

Warner Freeman, former King Middle School Science Dept. Chair, was a fantastic tutor for my daughter in science and chemistry. He was able to get her excited about learning and to answer her questions by explaining them within a conceptual framework so that she retained the material because it became meaningful to her life. He gave her a strong foundaton. He is particularly interested in helping students overcome their own insecurities about their ability to master science and other subjects. He relates to young people in a way that makes them excited about learning. Reasonable rates. His phone is 524-0452. pauline

AP CHEMISTRY TUTOR STEVE BRAND

My daughter began AP Chemistry at El Cerrito High School this fall and it soon became apparent that she was not going to do well in this rigorous class without help. In my desperate search for a chemistry tutor, I found Steve Brand, in the Parents of Teen Newsletter. Steve Brand is a recently retired AP Chemistry teacher from Berkeley High School with 30 years of experience. He is an incredible tutor. With so much material to cover in ECHS's block schedule, it is almost too much to master for their weekly tests. Each week, Steve would meet with my daughter, he would answer all her questions and then point out the chapter's key concepts and help her understand how these concepts relate. Steve brought models to help explain some of the more difficult concepts. Even without models, Steve had the ability to make the subject concrete and accessible. Building confidence was an added benefit for which I am grateful. My daughter's success in AP Chemistry is largely due to Steve's help. Steve Brand can be reached at: stephenbrand AT comcast.net Irene

Steve Brand is the most phenomenal teacher my son has ever experienced. Mr. Brand presents a difficult subject in an accessible and enjoyable (sometimes even hilarious) way. My son is not greatly interested in scientific matters, but talked frequently about topics presented in chemistry class during the year he took AP chem from Mr. Brand. He also got a 5 on the AP exam, something I'm sure wouldn't have happened without Mr. Brand's guidance and encouragement. I can't imagine a better chemistry tutor (or stand-up comedy coach, for that matter). I believe contact information is available from the archives. stephenbrand AT comcast.net
impressed BHS parent

Linda (7/99)

Physics

Need a Physics AP tutor

I need a recommendation for an AP Physics tutor to come to our house (or to the library) in Orinda. Also, what is the going rate? Thanks. Anon

Physics Tutor for high school student

We're looking for a Physics tutor. Can you recommend someone who is a great Physics tutor and an effective communicator? The student is a junior at Miramonte High School in Orinda who is struggling with Physics. Many thanks!

Matt Criden was born and raised on a kibbutz in Northern Israel, and spent his childhood making friends with exchange students from all over the world. After serving in the Israeli air force for three years, he moved to Berkeley to pursue his education. Matt has recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a major in Astrophysics and a minor in Physics. His plan for the future involves attending medical school, doing research, and potentially teaching in an academic setting, while keeping Astrophysics as a life long hobby. Matt is a dedicated and engaging tutor with helpful and motivating techniques to help his students love Physics and all things math related. Matt believes that every student has the potential to excel at math and science when the subjects are presented in the ''right'' way--by focusing on the student's learning style. With experience, patience, and a positive attitude, Matt helps students gain the comprehension they need to get the grades they deserve.

Also, please note that Classroom Matters offers a sliding scale, if cost is an issue. Call us at 540-8646 for more information. Classroom Matters

My son is taking Physics and Calculus this year and is having a really hard time keeping up. He is usually a very good student, but this year has just been very difficult for him. Does anyone have recent experience with a tutor who is very ''professional'' and can teach both subjects? Concerned parent

AP Physics tutor needed (now) that knows the Berkeley High course. BPN has only 1 listing so I need more referrals. Thank you

My daughter needed extensive help to understand her college physics course. She had an excellent tutor, Warner Freeman, who broke the material down to her in a simplified fashion step by step so that she was able to grasp the concepts and make them her own in a way she never understood them in class. The tutor is a former Berkeley science teacher. Reasonable rates, 524-0452 pauline