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How our tutoring works
Understand the course. Prepare for the test. Know what to do when you are stuck.
Good tutoring should help with the work in front of you and make the next difficult question easier to approach. Our tutors look for what is getting in the way, adjust how they teach, and help students build practical ways to think through problems on their own.
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$55 per hour in person, $50 per hour online. In-person and online sessions are available.
Find the real problem
We start by finding out why the student is stuck
Two students can get the same question wrong for completely different reasons.
Student one
One may have missed an earlier concept.
Student two
Another may understand the idea but struggle to recognize the question type, set up the work, or catch a small mistake.
Before repeating an explanation, the tutor asks the student to show what they understand and where the process stops making sense. That gives us something specific to work on.
★Change the explanation
★Return to a missing foundation
★Use a different example
★Give the student a useful next step
Support for now and later
The session should help now and when the tutor is not there
01
Understand the course
We help students make sense of the ideas behind the steps. That may mean slowing down, connecting a new topic to an earlier one, drawing a diagram, changing the wording, or working through a simpler version first.
02
Prepare for the test
Knowing the material and using it under test conditions are different skills. We work on the parts of testing that are causing difficulty, such as time limits, problem setup, recognizing question types, staying organized, and finding mistakes.
03
Know what to do when you are stuck
Students practice a repeatable way to approach unfamiliar questions. The goal is not to memorize a script for one problem. It is to have a reliable place to begin when the next step is not obvious.
Start with three questions
What do I have? What do I want? How do I get there?
When a question feels overwhelming, students often start calculating before they understand what is happening. These three questions slow the problem down and turn a vague feeling of being stuck into something more specific.
01
What do I have?
Identify the information, relationships, diagrams, definitions, or tools that are already available.
02
What do I want?
Name what the question is actually asking for. A clear target makes it easier to judge whether each step is useful.
03
How do I get there?
Choose one reasonable move. Then check whether it follows from the previous step and brings the work closer to the goal. If it does not, adjust and try a different route.
Practice for the conditions of the test
Pressure can change how a student uses what they know
A student may solve a question during homework and still freeze during a test. Sometimes the issue is content. Sometimes it is time pressure, panic, disorganized work, difficulty choosing a method, or not knowing where a mistake happened.
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Afterward, the tutor and student review more than the final answers. They look at where the student's process held up and where it changed under pressure.
Depending on the student, test preparation may include:
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Recognizing the type of question before choosing a method
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Planning the first steps instead of rushing into calculations
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Practicing a short set within a time limit
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Organizing work so mistakes are easier to find
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Checking the points where errors are most likely
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Resetting after one difficult question instead of letting it affect the rest of the test
The person comes first
Students need room to show what they do not understand
Tutors need to see a student's thinking before they can help with it. That is difficult when the student feels judged for asking a question, taking a risk, or making a mistake.
Our tutors invite students to explain a step, try before being shown, and say when an explanation is not landing. Mistakes give the tutor useful information. They show whether the student needs a different example, a slower pace, less jargon, more practice, or a missing foundation.
The approach can also change from week to week. A student preparing for a test next Friday may need a focused plan and direct explanations. The same student may later benefit from slowing down and rebuilding an earlier concept. Good tutoring pays attention to both the person and the situation.
When the tutor is not there
The goal is for students to make more of the decisions themselves
Tutors can always show another solution. The more useful skill is learning how to choose a starting point, explain why a step makes sense, notice when something has gone wrong, and decide what to try next.
Support changes as the student becomes more comfortable.
01
Model
The tutor may model a process first.
02
Next step
The student completes the next step.
03
Explain
The student explains their reasoning.
04
Fewer hints
The student solves a similar question with fewer hints.
Progress is not always immediate or even, but the direction is toward greater independence.
A human approach
Every tutor brings a different way of explaining and connecting
A method only works when the tutor can adapt it to the student in front of them. Our tutor profiles show each person's subjects, experience, personality, and approach to teaching so students and families can get a clearer sense of who they will be working with.
Nathan founded Rising Stars to give students one-to-one support that fits the course and the person. He teaches math and science and helps match each student with the right tutor.
Learn More → 
Alivia teaches science, from early foundations to university courses, with clear explanations and plenty of room for questions.
Learn More → 
Asees works across math and science, helping students set up problems, find their mistakes, and build a method they can repeat on their own.
Learn More → 
Maddy teaches English and math, from essay structure and reading to problem solving, at a pace that suits the student.
Learn More → What students notice
Students notice when the course starts to make sense
Made Math 109 (Calculus 1) at UVic actually make sense.
★★★★★Katie, UVic student, Google review
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5.0 on Google The Rising Stars Tutoring · Victoria, BC
★★★★★
Student Review
"He's very accommodating and understanding as well as being good at thoroughly explaining concepts. He breaks down problems and gives you the steps to make the problem easier while still letting you work through them on your own."
T
TobiUniversity Student
★★★★★
Google Review
"When I first met Nathan, I was failing my stats class at UVic and was convinced I wouldn't pass. He taught me everything from the ground up. I went from 0 to 100 and ended up getting 90% on the final."
B
BlakeUVic BCom Student
★★★★★
Google Review
"Nathan from Rising Stars Tutoring is an amazing tutor that made Math 109 (Calculus 1) at UVic actually make sense. He is completely professional, flexible with scheduling, and worth every cent. He went above and beyond."
K
KatieUVic Student
★★★★★
Student Review
"Great tutor! Super easy to get a hold of with a flexible schedule. Great teacher and very good at explaining things. This guy knows what he's doing!"
J
JaceUniversity Student
★★★★★
Student Review
"Nathan is a fantastic tutor! I wouldn't have been able to pass my statistics class without all his help."
A
AliStatistics Student
Ready to get started
Book a session and tell us what kind of support you need
Share the course, current challenges, schedule, and whether you prefer in-person or online tutoring. We will follow up and help with the next step.
$55 per hour in person, $50 per hour online. In-person and online sessions are available.
Victoria, BC · (250) 726-5623 · tutoring@therisingstars.info