Lawrence Melton

Biography

My passion for education and tutoring came from wanting to make a significant impact in students’ lives by helping them realize their potential for learning and overcoming difficult challenges. I’ve always gotten a joy out of helping students have that “a-ha” moment when accomplishing something that was both difficult and uninteresting to them.

I grew up in San Jose, CA and went to Stanford University where I majored in Communications and Media Studies. I also spent time there volunteering as a tutor and college counselor, and those experiences are why my first job out of college was as an educational consultant. I loved every moment being a resource for students that deserved the extra help, but just didn’t have access to it.

There isn’t any one thing that draws me to the subjects I teach, outside of comfort level. However, I do think I am drawn to helping students find other ways to retain information beyond what’s directly given to them in book form. For example, I’ve found students memorizing processes in biology much more effectively with supplemental video resources versus simply reading out of the book. Additionally, when I was in school, I found I learned Calculus AB much better through YouTube videos than through the class or book. 

I’ve also had fun prior experiences as a test prep tutor, mostly because I get to help teach students HOW to take the test and apply a philosophy that will stick with them the rest of their lives: work smarter, not harder. Showing the tricks behind how to take these tests and helping relieve pressure for students who may feel overwhelmed is what drives me to go even harder for my students!

Finally, I try to personalize each session by getting to know each student’s interests, passions, and hobbies. It’s my job as a tutor to make the session comfortable for the student, so I try to find an authentic, genuine point of connection or relevance with our backgrounds. From there, that bond helps make each session smoother. 

Outside of tutoring, I enjoy playing basketball, practicing piano, watching Warriors games with my family, and reading old novels I enjoyed as a youth.