Henry Lau

I consider myself a career tutor. After graduating from UC San Diego, I started working as a biology tutor and later expanded my practice to covering math, chemistry, and standardized tests, such as the SAT. I put myself in the student’s shoes and attempt to bring interest and excitement into whatever subject we are reviewing. I grew up in the Bay Area and went to Gunn High School in Palo Alto, so I understand the academic environment that my students are in. At the same time, I can also understand the parent perspective, being a parent myself.

With over 15 years of experience split between one large education company and one small education company, my students have spanned across the Bay Area, ranging from the Palo Alto/Mountain View/Los Altos area to the Cupertino/San Jose area. I have even had the opportunity to work with students from Southern California in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas and occasionally students from the East Coast as well.

Some of the best experiences I have had working with students is when I have been able to tutor them long term. Seeing the growth and development during their high school career from freshman biology to senior level calculus is a true joy to behold. It has been a privilege to see students transform over the course of their high school careers, becoming stronger independent learners with a foundation that is more solid for the next leg of their educational journey.

As a tutor, I find that it is important for students to be accountable for their work and that putting in time and effort will eventually pay off for them. Working through problems and trying to understand the process of how to solve problems is a key element in getting comfortable in math and science. Although it may be hard, it is ultimately rewarding when everything just suddenly clicks and makes sense. I think of working with students like a puzzle: I want to figure out how they learn and what approach makes the material more digestible for the student to understand.

When I have free time, I enjoy taking my son and my wife to different places such as the Children’s Discovery Museum or one of the many parks in the Bay Area. I value spending time with my family and enriching my son’s childhood with different experiences.