Services: AP Calculus, SAT/ACT/GRE, Tutoring (high school - graduate), Enrichment, Math Research, AMC/AIME, College Essays. My name is Dr. Richard Gottesman, and I am a mathematician, mathematics tutor, and academic coach. I am passionate about helping my students become stronger, more confident, and happier math students. I also love improv comedy and I teach a monthly improv comedy class at the
Great Neck public library. I have 21 years of experience tutoring, teaching, and mentoring students in mathematics. I received my undergraduate degree in math from Brown University and my Ph.D. in math from the University of California, Santa Cruz. I have taught undergraduate classes at Hofstra, Adelphi, Baruch College, Queen’s University, and UC Santa Cruz. I help students prepare for the AP Calculus, AP Precalculus, and Regents exams. I tutor students taking courses in calculus, precalculus, geometry and algebra, and all undergraduate math courses. I also help students prepare for the SAT, ACT, GRE, and AMC exams. I provide math enrichment and mentorship, and advise research projects. I also work with students and adults who are looking to study math topics (number theory, group theory, etc.) outside of the offerings of their school. I have worked with many students who have math anxiety or believe that “they are not a math person”. I am empathetic and emphasize that math is a skill and that students will improve with practice. I provide practice problems tailored to each student’s needs. It is important for me that my students develop a routine and a plan to work on mathematics outside of their sessions with me. My goal is for the students I work with to feel empowered to take ownership in their education. If you would like to connect about math or improv, you can message me on Facebook or send me an email ([email protected]). Some comments from parents and students:
“I am absolutely thrilled to have found Richard Gottesman to tutor my child in math. For years my son has been struggling with math. Richard has been able to help my child overcome his apprehensions with math, and make the learning fun instead of dreadful. In a short time we have seen huge improvements, bringing up his skill in several areas. I can’t recommend Mr Gottesman enough!”
“Richard has been a godsend for our son, whose passion for math led him to exhaust even the advanced course offerings at his K-8 school before 6th grade. Richard has guided him masterfully through more and more advanced mathematical inquiry over the last three years, never failing to engage with our son’s sense of fun and excitement in the material. Most recently, our son worked successfully through an upper undergraduate-level Group Theory final exam. Richard has always been communicative and accommodating of scheduling requests, and clearly cares about our son’s development and future. We highly recommend him as a tutor.”
“He’s got extreme patience, he’s really dedicated and I would highly recommend him.”
“Thanks to you as well for helping her [my daughter] grasp the concepts. She loves your approach and personality.”
“Richard is very patient and happy to go over things until you understand them. He has a passion for math which shows in his teaching. He seems to really care about his students and does as much as he can to help us succeed.”
“Richard was really enthusiastic about what he taught, which really encouraged me to try harder.”
"I reached out to Richard for help on behalf of a friend who was looking for a better career opportunity and decided to apply to an Operating Engineers Union. On her first try, my friend, in her late 30’s, didn’t do well enough on the Math exam to move on to the next round. Being in her 30’s and in a job that didn’t require mathematical skills beyond simple arithmetic, it had been a while since my friend faced more difficult math questions. With Richard’s help, she put in 6 months of studying and it ultimately paid off: she passed this year’s exam and is now in the interview phase of the application process. Without Richard’s help, I don’t think she would have been able to do this well because it had been a long time and she didn’t know where to start reviewing and relearning mathematical concepts and problem solving. Richard was a calming presence on top of helping her get rid of the rust on some of her math skills that had laid dormant since high school. I UNEQUIVOCALLY RECOMMEND RICHARD. He is a wonderful and patient teacher. He helped my friend pass the exam with flying colors and what’s more, helped her gain confidence with Math, something that many of us feel we can’t do. Yes, we are all math people, and Richard is the guy that can help you realize that. It’s something you’ll take away with you once the particular exam you’re focused on is in the rear view mirror."
“...she definitely worked very hard under your expert guidance and found her confidence lifted. We appreciate all your dedication to her education.”
“Richard Gottesman is an amazing math teacher. I’ve worked with him mainly in high level math that my school can’t accommodate, and he is amazing at teaching. He isn’t the type of teacher to give you the answer straight away, give you no help, or just go from definition to problem to definition. He gives you some help but lets you figure out what to do and helps you figure out how to turn ideas into a proof. He also tells you interesting things that relate to the topic as you learn. I’ve always had fun every time we start a class.”