Blaine Matis

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I have always had a strong interest in mathematics and a love for helping people. Even in high school, I worked as a private tutor after getting an 800 on my math SAT, and in college at UC Santa Cruz, I was an instructional assistant for Integral Calculus for Math and Physics Majors, teaching my own section as an advanced and motivated undergraduate. I completed my B.A. in mathematics and my Master of Education in mathematics before fully diving into my career as a math teacher.

As a teacher, I taught math to 8th graders in Watsonville for two years before moving back home to Los Angeles. I then taught math at a charter school in East LA, teaching every math course offered at a brand new high school with its first class of tenth graders. These courses included Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and Math Test Prep. I followed the same students after 10th grade through their 11th and 12th grade curriculum, fostering meaningful long-term connections. I became the math department chair in my second year, writing and designing curriculum for a diverse group of students and meeting the individual needs of every scholar in the school before they graduated. During this time, I received the highest possible evaluations, hired and trained new math teachers, and spoke on the use of technology in math education, including integrating technology into flipped classroom models, at the California Mathematics Council Southern Conference.

When I relocated to Connecticut, I found that I had developed a deeper passion for one of my hobbies, aerial dance. There were no schools for aerial dance in my immediate area, so I took the plunge and opened one myself. I learned how to write a business plan and conduct the research necessary to be successful, developed a financial plan and budget, and opened the doors to my own circus school. While owning my own business, I wore every possible hat. Not only was I still teaching all of the classes, developing curriculum, and helping my students advance in their skills, technique, and confidence, I was also running all of the behind-the-scenes operations. I developed the skills to analyze financial data and employ effective marketing strategies to develop growth consistently year-to-year. I maintained positive customer service and relationships with clients. Additionally, I ran large-scale events at our studio that consistently sold out each time. Our most recent sold-out event was a professional aerial-hoop championship event, and it had over 30 aerial performers from 5 different states and over 100 audience members. Planning this event included coordinating professional rigging, lighting, photography, and videography services, soliciting sponsorships from local businesses, marketing and advertising our event among specific local audiences determined by data analysis, and managing legal and insurance regulations. Being able to share my passions with the community, and with so many interested participants, has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of running my own business. When I’m not working, you can find me flying through the air, continuing to practice circus arts and aerial dance nearby.

I returned to the Bay Area to apply the variety of new skills I gained from two years of managing a business and six years of managing students in classrooms. Whether I’m coaching students through essential math concepts, helping them master the nuances of expressing ideas clearly (and the grammatical rules that go along with it), or helping them develop the reading approach that works best for them, I enjoy helping my students navigate standardized tests like the SAT and ACT to set them up for success. My ultimate goal is always to help people, whether it be personally, professionally, or academically.