"I am Philip! I graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor's in Secondary Education in Mathematics from the University of Cincinnati in 2016. Finishing that degree was the beginning of my third career, already spending seven years as a finish carpenter and three years as a youth pastor.

Teaching brought together my love for youth as well as my deep enjoyment of the form, structure beauty, and meaning making I find in mathematics, both practically and theoretically.

I have spent hundreds of hours one-on-one with students and thousands of hours with student groups, using a Constructivist Teaching Practice to encourage questioning, conversation, and exploration to bring insight.

Personally, I struggled greatly with anxiety for much of my life, but have also found valuable relief/success in learning how to use breathing and mindfulness practices to regulate my own the nervous system (and anxiety). I have found most students are not aware of the anxiety that is occurring in their body when they sit down to do math (especially if they expect it to be a struggle). I have drive to help others help them themselves with these physical/mental boundaries as well reframe the whole experience the student has with mathematics; not as a test of one's own intelligence or value, but as an amazing set of tools intended to help navigate the world and (create worlds!)

Along with teaching in the standard classroom setting, I have lead groups of both teens and adults in breathing and mindfulness practices.

I taught for six years and transitioned out the classroom after the 2020-2021 school year, still loving mathematics, but no longer wishing to manage large classes in the standard setting. I have since grown a carpentry business and continue to work regularly with applied mathematics in building projects, art design, and tutoring students. While my experience on Wyzant is just beginning, I hope you will begin your experience with me." less...