PrepNow Tutor - Nick B.
“I believe in efficient, focused instruction that meets students where they are and gets results,” Nick says. A test prep tutor since 2018, Nick holds a BS in linguistics from the University of North Texas and is currently pursuing his accounting degree. He started his career as a research assistant at an AI language technology lab before transitioning into education. He has progressed from test prep tutor to high school geometry teacher to his current role as a tutoring center director.
Nick started tutoring in high school. “At first, just my friends would come to me to help them understand the more advanced math topics we were covering in our college-level math classes,” Nick recalls. “Then word got around that I was great at explaining and tutoring my friends, so people outside my immediate network started coming to me for help. I didn't charge them anything, I just enjoyed helping them.” Nick’s proudest teaching moment came when he was teaching high school geometry. “I had a student who started the year claiming he absolutely hated math and that it never made any sense to him,” Nick shares. “Over the course of the school year, I helped increase his comfort and interest in math to the point where he was strongly considering pursuing a mathematics degree in college.” Throughout his career, Nick has tutored SAT and ACT prep, ESL, and K-12 English and math up to calculus.
When asked about his tutoring style, Nick says, “I follow the Socratic method as much as the student can bear. In doing so, I audit their thought process to diagnose the specific knowledge and skill gaps that are unique to them, instead of rushing to what I might guess might be the most productive explanation of a problem. I then suggest targeted practice on foundational topics before elevating the difficulty level over time.” Nick also helps students adopt a growth mindset. “I encourage students to celebrate failures since they are essential to growth toward higher achievement,” he says. “I also require diligent and organized note-taking so we don't need to restart our learning on topics we've already covered.”
Nick has been involved in theater, specifically acting, since high school, and it's landed him a few commercial roles. He loves to hike, hammock, and read in nature, and he engages his competitive side with chess and pickleball. “I’m also an improv comedy actor and occasionally teach improv comedy,” Nick shares.
