I prioritize teaching my students to learn deeply, not just quickly. When students work with me, they don't just achieve higher grades; they truly grow! I help my students build a strong foundation for their academic journey, starting with detailed attention to fundamentals and including important practical skills such as note-taking.
I structure lesson plans to target a students' weaknesses while enhancing their strengths. For every student, I develop a tailored long-term plan and prepare extensively. I include personalized notes after each meeting.
I often support students as a supplementary teacher for ongoing courses at school or as a primary instructor for self-study of a new topic. Below is a list of popular subjects that I have taught in the past or currently teach, but it's not exhaustive. If you don't see a subject you need help with below, please don't hesitate to still reach out!
K-12 Math, including Honors courses (algebra, geometry, etc.)
AP Statistics*
AP Calculus AB/BC*
Precalculus
Linear Algebra
Multivariable Calculus
Differential Equations
Probability
Discrete math
Writing
Reading comprehension
Application essays
AP Physics C: Mechanics^
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism^
AP Physics 1^
AP Physics 2^
High school physics
Quantum mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Special relativity
Quantum information
Introductory and advanced college physics
SAT^
ACT*
* I scored 5/5 on these AP exams and 36/36 on the ACT
^ I did not personally take these exams, but I have supported many students through them
My name is Josephine, and I am a lifelong learner who wishes to share that same joy with younger students. I have more than 10 years of teaching experience from TAships, private tutoring, volunteering, etc. As a woman in STEM, I especially want to empower younger girls interested in math and science!
I graduated from MIT with a 4.9/5.0 GPA and a Bachelor's in Math and Physics and a concentration in Creative Writing. I also served as Copy Chief for MIT's student newspaper, The Tech. I'm now a PhD student at Stanford.
Outside of teaching and research, I love running, cooking, photography, and music.
Degrees
MBHS (STEM Magnet), 2016: 3.98/4.0
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Math, Physics), B.S. 2020: 4.9/5.0
Stanford University (Applied Physics), Ph.D in progress
Honors and awards
ACT 36/36 (composite and all subjects), 2015
M. N., Student at Branksome Hall High School, Toronto; SAT score improved to 1500 and improved performance at school. Subjects taught: SAT (2023-24), IB Math HL and Physics (2024-25)
"Josephine has been an outstanding help in my SAT prep. Her approach to scheduling, organization of lesson and homework materials, and balanced allocation of time for each skill has been incredibly helpful. I appreciated how Josephine kept our lessons flexible, allowing me to work on anything I felt I needed the most help with at the time. She additionally made sure the homework, including test-taking and drills, was manageable alongside my schoolwork, which made the learning process much less stressful and helped prevent burnout. Overall, Josephine was a phenomenal tutor - she genuinely cared about my progress and I felt well-guided and motivated at all times. Thank you, Josephine :)
Josephine is amazing at making difficult concepts in math and physics actually make sense. Instead of just going through problems, she focus on helping me understand the logic behind them first. Her approach made topics like forces, energy, and probability feel way more intuitive. I have become more confident solving problems on my own, and I have noticed a clear improvement in both my grades and the way I think through questions. Overall, Josephine has been an excellent tutor!"
Dalia L., student at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Ohio; accepted into multiple top-choice schools including Oberlin, Mannes, Cincinnati, UMass, and more! Subjects taught: College admissions essay editing (2022)
"I had a great experience with Josephine. She’s a lovely human being and is super kind and supportive. From the very beginning, she advocated for me and supported me in sharing my authentically unique story. Through the process, she asked me questions to help me understand what I wanted to write about more and was very proactive. The whole process was much less stressful because of how incredibly organized Josephine did everything. Everything was organized and the deadlines were achievable. I enjoyed the calls with Josephine a lot because she always listened thoroughly to what I had to say and made sure to include my own voice in my essays. She made it clear how important my story was and valued how unique it was. Overall, the experience was great and I learned a lot. The outcome was wonderful and I’m a proud student at Oberlin Conservatory studying cello performance now! Thanks Josephine!"
Student at Harvard College, MA. Subjects taught: AP Physics 1, AP Physics Mechanics, Honors Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus BC. (2021-23)
“Josephine tutored me during my junior and senior year of high school in the subjects AP physics, AP physics mechanics, Honors Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus BC. Josephine helped me greatly with understanding the material and approaching homework assignments in a logical fashion. This translated into better performances on tests, and my grades across classes improved. Josephine was always very professional, communicative, and patient, even during moments in which I was stressed or frustrated. She helped develop my critical thinking in STEM, and I would highly recommend her as a tutor to anyone studying these fields.”
Proud parent of a student at Wake Forest University, NC. Subjects taught: ACT, Precalculus (2020-2021)
"Josephine is a brilliant tutor who brings herself to the level of the child to explain concepts rather than memorizing. She helped in unraveling the memorization method that my child learnt in school and taught the concepts and how to apply. Till today my child’s fundamentals and concepts are crystal clear. Additionally, she is Very patient and diligent. I would highly recommend Josephine."
My rate differs depending on the subject and type of help you are looking for. Please fill out the form below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Cancellation policy: I reserve the right to charge 50% of the session fee if you cancel within 24 hours of the session start time, barring extenuating circumstances.
No-Show/Late Policy: I charge 100% of the session fee for no-shows (barring extenuating circumstances). If you are late to a session, I will still charge for the full time.
Location: I currently operate on Zoom by default, but please inquire if you strongly prefer in-person (Bay Area). I use Notability for math/science, Google Docs for reading/writing, and share all documents and notes in Google Drive.
Referrals: I offer one free hour of tutoring for each student you refer who has booked and completed a lesson with me! Please have the new student mention you as the referral.
Academic dishonesty: I have a zero-tolerance policy for academic dishonesty. If I recognize that the content I am helping with is somehow obtained dishonestly (ex., answers to a test you haven't taken), I will no longer be in contact and will attempt to notify your academic institution. For writing support and application essay editing, I will not write or rewrite any of your essays. I take plagiarism and attempts at plagiarism very seriously.