Sol De Picciotto
Sol De Picciotto

Sol De Picciotto

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Math type
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Introduction: I am a Caltech graduate who is currently retired from working as an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I am now working as a professional Math and Science tutor. I have tutored all levels of math from elementary math through calculus, as well as physics. I am located in Los Angeles. Tutoring can be done at my home office, at another location selected by the student or online using video conferencing. My fee varies between $40/hour and $60/hour depending on which is selected. TEACHING APPROACH: I am very patient and methodical. A student’s confusion or lack of understanding is dealt with in an empathetic and caring manner. The student quickly understands that I am there to help, not to judge. I relate to the student as a mentor. I will grasp a student’s level of understanding, and present information tailored to that level. I also concentrate on viewing the subject matter from the student’s point of view. I want to see what the student sees, and know what the student understands. I teach using that as a guide. I explain concepts in ways that are easy to understand, with analogies to scenarios that are intuitively clear. I find ways to present information tailored to a person’s strengths. The tutoring sessions are interesting and easy. Many of my students have raised their grades to A's. I believe that with the right guidance, any student can achieve success in any subject. First and foremost, I care about my students. Their success is what makes me successful. I treat all students with respect. I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes when I help a student understand a concept that was difficult. I take pride in my ability to explain math in ways that are easy to understand. The following testimonials are what my clients are saying: TESTIMONIALS: "My son's math scores were very low due to illness and missed school. We hired tutors in the past but it always ended with a lot of frustration and tears. When Sol started working with my son it was different from the very first session. Instead of tears and frustration I saw my son transformed to a happy confident teen that now enjoys math. It takes time, doesn't happen overnight. The difference in my child is priceless. Sol has a way about him that children respond to. As a parent I highly recommend Sol." ~ Ariel “Sol is a wonderful Math tutor who really helped my daughter grasp Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus in a short time, which helped her improve her grade significantly! My daughter began the first semester of this school year (last Fall) confused, frustrated and hating her class. Within a few short months with Sol's help she is now feeling confident and able to understand the complexities of this Math class and navigates her way through the lessons and homework with ease and confidence! I can't thank Sol enough for his ability to teach and simplify a subject that gives so many kids nightmares! Thank you, Sol!!!” ~Marina "Our daughter started working with Sol in the fall. She went from a 2 to a 5 on the Calculus BC AP test. Sol was very kind and patient. He was always punctual, and flexible about accommodating our schedule. Most importantly though, he was very creative and intuitive in helping our daughter. He analyzed the problems she was having and tailored the sessions to address her weaknesses. He did not come in with a set approach that he uses with every student. He was able to communicate well with our daughter and continued to adjust his help to address her changing needs. Sol seems to listen better than some tutors. He did a great job and we recommend him very highly." ~ Damon "My daughter has been having trouble in math since second grade. I've been taking her to after-school classes, group tutoring and tutor programs but none of them really made much impact. By ninth grade, she was convinced she couldn't keep up with her classmates and (understandably) had an aversion to even trying. Thankfully, we found Sol, and she started working with him one-on-one, one to two hours a week. It's been a huge relief to see her go from so confused to having a good understanding of what she's doing. Sol has a way of just keeping a kid on track without pushing too hard, or wasting any time. He is always patient and just gets to work. He explains things clearly and provides study problems when necessary. Through working with Sol and practicing the specific types of problems that were the most difficult for her, my daughter is finally comfortable with math, and can keep up with her grade level. I recommend Sol very highly!" ~Abby "Sol is patient, listens, is heart-felt, and he has addressed my needs (as I have some learning challenges) and he has demonstrated a willingness to find ways to present the information tailored to my strengths." ~ Jeannie "Hi Sol! Just wanted to tell you that I got an A on the final in math, as well as an overall A in the class! Thank you so much for everything, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this without you!!" ~Shishi "Please know that I really cherished our sessions--you're a great teacher and I enjoyed your company a lot. Hoping our paths cross again." ~Matthew "Thank you, Sol, For your thoroughness, and for your focus and gentleness. I'm so glad we found you." ~Abby "Hey Sol, Just wanted to let you know that I finished this semester with an A in the class! Thanks for all the help. I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without you. I plan to see you again this fall." ~Alonzo "Exciting news - my daughter got 100% on her math test last week! This is amazing. Thank you so much for being such a wonderful teacher. All of her hard work with your help is paying off big time. She really enjoys working with you. We are lucky to have met you." ~ Nikki
Overview

Hired 13 times

1 employee

12 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, PayPal, and Venmo.

Featured Projects

4 photos

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

6 reviews

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pro avatar
Freida A.
Oct 19, 2016
Sol helped my daughter with geometry, algebra II and trig. He reviewed her material prior to their meetings and was well equipped to answer her questions. My daughter found him to be sweet and easy to work with. Prior to exams, he quickly helped her understand concepts that were confusing. I highly recommend him for advanced math...any math really!
pro avatar
Matthew T.
Sep 10, 2017
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

After a couple less-than-stellar tutoring experiences via Thumbtack, I feel incredibly fortunate to have found Sol. My tutoring needs were somewhat unusual: after a 10-year hiatus, I needed to reacquaint myself with high school math in order to pass a placement test into a college-level calculus I course. Far easier said than done. Sol was up for the challenge, and knew just how to tackle it. After I had diligently dug out of my old textbooks from my parents' garage, Sol offered an anecdote about his dear friend and and former Cal-Tech college roommate when he was confronted with modern-day high school math. (Sol, you see, is not only an incredibly savvy tutoring professional, but also a retired JPL scientist--and a thoroughly interesting, thoughtful and personable man to boot.) As Sol's anecdote helped to illustrate, the scope of high school math has evolved in recent years, in ways even the former president of Hughes Aerospace, in a moment of complacency, would fail to appreciate. Pre-Calculus theses days focuses much more on the interpretation of graphs, and introduces concepts such as solving and plotting the inverse of linear and rational equations, which wasn't even taught when I took the course circa 2000. At Sol's request, we set aside my old textbooks in favor of modern coursework that he provided. It was a few months later, at our last lesson, that I was able to truly appreciate how much Sol cares about his students. In his office, I happened to glance at a computer window where Sol had a folder with my name and files charting 'Goals', 'Progress' and 'Notes'. Sol's hard work and investment in my success paid off: on my placement test I scored a 98%--surpassing the score I had needed for calculus I and placing me into calculus II! As Sol predicted, the test had focused quite extensively on those more modern facets of pre-calculus that he had taught me. Now in calculus II, I feel utterly prepared, and only have Sol to thank. *Highly* recommended.
Math Tutoring
pro avatar
Rhonda G.
Oct 20, 2016
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Sol just tutored my daughter in Algebra 1 for the first time, and she thought he was a great tutor and his teaching style is a great fit for her!
Algebra Tutoring
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Lisa S.
Oct 24, 2016
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

very patient and explain well very hard concept to my kid
High School Math Tutoring (Grades 9-12)
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Sandra w.
Mar 19, 2017
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Sol has identified my daughters difficulties with pre calculus and tailored his tutoring to her needs. She continues to improve and has gained confidence.
High School Math Tutoring (Grades 9-12)