Brief Profile

I am a professional, certified tutor who works primarily with academically gifted and honors students of all ages from kindergarten through college.  I am also a college math professor and Duke University graduate.

I have an advanced degree in mathematics, and am capable of teaching all math courses up through Calculus.

I have many years of experience as a tutor of academically gifted students, and have helped countless students reach their full potential in mathematics.  I live locally with my wife and two children.

Do You Have an Academically Gifted Child
or Honors Level Student?

I specialize in helping students as young as 5 years old that are exceptionally gifted. While many schools “officially” have specialized programs for gifted students, they are often underfunded and underdeveloped. The teachers may not have adequate training in math, or lack access to the appropriate curriculum to help your child develop to his or her full potential. This may be especially true in elementary and middle school, where few teachers have a strong math background.

Consequently, many gifted students end up becoming bored with school, which can lead to behavioral problems. My program is designed to challenge these students and quickly advance their math skills, while engaging their natural curiosity.

Many of my gifted students are several grade levels ahead in math. I also prepare them for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and SCAT which are the gateways to entering many prestigious university programs for gifted youth such as Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) and Johns Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth (CTY) program. Participation in these programs can result in preferential admission treatment when your gifted child applies to college.

If your son or daughter is older and enrolled in honors level math courses, I offer one-to-one tutoring in all advanced math courses, including Honors Algebra I and II, Honors Geometry, Honors Pre-calculus, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics. I have helped countless honors students achieve an “A” grade and successfully pass their AP exams in math.

Why Many School’s Academically Gifted Programs Struggle to Challenge Mathematically Gifted Children

Many gifted programs consist of “enrichment” activities that are often unrelated to mathematics, or do not challenge students to learn advanced methods in math. For example, they may spend “enrichment time” researching a newspaper article, reading a book, or helping out other students. While these activities may be enriching in some way, they are not advancing your child’s math skills.

Some school systems are also reluctant to support grade skipping or above level training since it demands more resources, takes time to monitor properly, requires a higher level of staff training, and takes the best students out of the regular classroom. Some teachers prefer to keep their gifted students in class as an “example” of what can be achieved.

I can work with your school system to offer assistance in the development of a properly tailored mathematics curriculum for your child, so that your son or daughter has the opportunity to learn new math skills both during the school day, and also when working with me at home.

Early Identification of Gifted Students is Important

by Carol J. Mills, Director of the CTY Research and Evaluation Department at The Johns Hopkins University

“Almost without exception, experts in the field of education of the intellectually gifted agree that early identification of such talented students is important. There is a good deal of evidence to show that many gifted students who are not identified at an early age become frustrated and disillusioned with school, falling into a pattern of low achievement and/or behavioral problems. Interest in learning may diminish and important study skills may not develop because the child is never challenged to think and work hard. This pattern of underachievement is a life style that is almost impossible to change.”

“The recognition and rewarding of academic talent in a young person helps to build confidence, self esteem, and a positive attitude toward learning. Because children with exceptional academic abilities are significantly different from most of their classmates in terms of pace of learning and intellectual interests, they often experience frustration, feelings of alienation, and depression. When their talents are recognized and their specialness is affirmed as positive, they are often better able to cope with being different.”

How Will My Child Benefit from One-to-One Mentoring Under an Expert Tutor?

By working with a college math professor, your child will get the benefit of learning at his or her own individualized pace. I continually gauge your child’s progress, and adjust the speed and sophistication of their training to ensure that they are achieving their maximum potential.

As Professor Belcastro, an expert in mathematics education states, “Teachers of the mathematically gifted must present mathematical content on higher levels of abstraction and in more complex form than is done for students who are average in mathematics. The program for the mathematically gifted should challenge them at their own levels of mathematics.”

Here is another observation from Professor Susan Assouline: “Teachers in a program designed for mathematically gifted students should be excellent teachers who have a content specialization in high-level mathematics and therefore can answer students’ high-level questions”.

I strive to challenge all of my students, while concurrently teaching them the basic skills they will need for advanced courses. With my honors students, my advanced training enables me to present the material in an intuitive manner that is easier to grasp and understand.

In just a few sessions, I promise that your child will not only be learning math well above their grade level, but will enjoy the experience and look forward to our lessons together. Many of my students ask for extra sessions because I show them how interesting and fun mathematics can be, especially for the gifted!

Please call today for a free one hour evaluation and customized plan
for your gifted child.

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Glen Dawson - Math Tutor
1004 Senoma Place, Apex, NC 27502
Phone: 919-270-4232
Email: MathTutor99@yahoo.com

Testimonials

“Thank you so much for helping our daughter obtain such a high grade in her mathematics achievement test. This resulted in her getting a scholarship to her first college choice. She never would have made it without you!”

Don and Kris – Holly Springs

"Thank you for showing my children the joys of exploring mathematics. I can hardly believe that my 2nd grade daughter is almost finished with 4th grade math, my 4th grade son is half-way through pre-algebra, and my 6th grade daughter is getting ready to take the SAT exam. And best of all, they enjoy your sessions so much and look forward to them!"

Lisa - Apex

"Thank you for helping my high school son with his honors level math courses. He has blossomed under your tutelage, and has discovered the joys of learning mathematics! You are an excellent role model, and a true gem in our lives!”

Gauri - Cary

"Thank you for helping my children achieve such heights in math. They never realized how gifted they were in math until you came along. My high school child is now taking advanced math and science courses at our local college, while my younger one in middle school is already preparing for the SAT exam. You are a true mentor to them and a constant source of inspiration. Thank you for all that you do."

R. - Cary