Ray Dykeman Tutoring

Expert Math & Science Tutoring Middle School • High School • College Personalized One-on-One Instruction Serving Bethesda, MD • Washington, DC • Online Nationwide

301-717-8204

Ray Dykeman is an exceptionally knowledgeable, skilled and dedicated full-time tutor with over 20 years experience teaching and tutoring math and science at the elementary school, middle school, high school, college and graduate levels. In addition to tutoring a wide variety of math and science subjects, he has taught Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Earth Science, and MCAT prep classes.

 

Ray will meet you at home or at school - the perfect solution for the overscheduled student!

 

Ray has worked with students from many Montgomery County and Washington, DC schools including Bethesda-Chevy Chase (BCC), Walt Whitman, Walter Johnson, Wilson, Winston Churchill, Pyle, North Bethesda, Westland, Bannockburn, Bethesda, Bradley Hills, Burning Tree, Carderock Springs, Chevy Chase, North Chevy Chase, Westbrook, Wood Acres, Wyngate and others. He also works with students from area private schools including Bullis, Burke, Charles E Smith Jewish Day School, French International School, Georgetown Day School, Georgetown Prep, Green Acres, Gonzaga, Holton Arms, Holy Child, Landon, Mater Dei, McLean School of Maryland, Potomac, NCS, Norwood, Sidwell, St. Albans, St. Jane de Chantal, St. John's, St. Patrick, Stoneridge, Washington Episcopal School, Washington International School, Washington Waldorf, Woods Academy and others.

301-717-8224  /  ray.dykeman@gmail.com

Math

Middle School Math

Many students who excelled in elementary school suddenly lose confidence when mathematics becomes more abstract. Ray helps students make that transition successfully by building genuine understanding and confidence, giving them the foundation they need for success in algebra and beyond.

Algebra

Algebra is the foundation for nearly every advanced mathematics and science course that follows. In a fast-paced classroom, there is often little time to explain not just how the mathematics works, but why it works. Ray carefully breaks down each topic so that students understand the reasoning behind the formulas and procedures they use. That deeper understanding builds confidence and provides a solid foundation for success in geometry, pre-calculus, calculus, chemistry, physics, and beyond.

Geometry

Geometry introduces students to a new way of thinking about mathematics. Success requires them to connect algebra, logic, spatial reasoning, and formal proofs in ways they have not encountered before. For many students, this transition can be challenging.

Some students also find it difficult to visualize geometric relationships or mentally manipulate figures in space. Ray is particularly skilled at helping these students develop the visual and spatial reasoning skills needed to understand geometry, write proofs, and apply mathematics with confidence.

Pre-Calculus

In pre-calculus, students face many challenging subjects including applied trigonometry; two- and three-dimensional vectors; sequences and series; exponential and logarithmic equations and more. These concepts can be intellectually challenging even for strong math students, and rightly so. It is in pre-calculus that the work of the math greats appears. Students are asked to grapple with and apply math developed by Gauss, De Moivre, Euler, Fermat, Pascal and others. Ray helps his pre-calculus students to understand and appreciate the richness and power of mathematics in terms of both the intellectual challenge and its applications in science, technology, economics and much more. Pre-calculus is the foundation for calculus and advanced engineering mathematics. Mastery is especially critical for any student who plans to further pursue math, science (including environmental science and medicine), engineering, or economics. Ray helps his students to understand and integrate this important branch of mathematics.

Calculus

Calculus is often the course that determines whether students continue toward engineering, physics, mathematics, economics, or medicine. Ray helps students see the relationship of calculus to the real world and develop a deep conceptual understanding that allows them to solve challenging problems with confidence.

Science

Biology

Biology requires students to master an enormous amount of information while also understanding how living systems function. Today's courses often include a significant amount of biochemistry and molecular biology, making the subject more conceptually challenging than many students expect.

Ray helps students organize this information into a coherent picture so they understand how the concepts fit together rather than trying to memorize isolated facts. That deeper understanding makes the material easier to learn, easier to remember, and much more meaningful.

Chemistry

Chemistry is unlike any science most students have studied before. It is based on the behavior of atoms and their subatomic particles, which obey physical laws that cannot be seen in everyday life. Because of this, many students struggle to develop an intuitive understanding of the subject.

Ray is particularly skilled at helping students understand not only how chemistry works, but why it works. For example, the Periodic Table is not simply something to memorize. Its organization, the properties of the elements, and the periodic trends all arise from the underlying structure of atoms. Once students understand these fundamental ideas, they can often predict chemical behavior instead of memorizing it.

Chemistry also requires strong problem-solving skills. Ray helps students develop the reasoning and analytical skills needed to solve problems with confidence.

Physics

Physics is often the most mathematically demanding of the sciences because students have to learn to translate real-world situations into mathematical models. Success requires much more than simply knowing equations. Students have to analyze a problem, identify the important physical principles, and draw a diagram that clearly represents the important features of the physical situation.

Ray teaches students a systematic approach to solving physics problems. He helps them identify the relevant quantities, understand how vectors and other physical quantities are related, apply dimensional analysis to check their work, and use mathematics to understand and predict the behavior of the physical world.

Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is often considered one of the most challenging courses in the sciences. Success depends on a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts introduced in general chemistry. Ray helps students build that foundation first, giving them the confidence to tackle more advanced topics.

With those fundamentals in place, Ray helps students master nomenclature, structure, reaction mechanisms, resonance, stereochemistry, and multi-step synthesis through careful explanation and systematic problem solving.

Standardized Tests

MCAT

The MCAT is one of the most demanding standardized examinations, requiring mastery of biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, psychology, critical reasoning, and scientific problem solving. Ray enjoys helping students develop both the scientific understanding and analytical skills needed to succeed on this exam. He helped to develop Princeton Review's first set of MCAT materials, and taught MCAT prep classes for the company. His students averaged close to 3 point gains in these classes. When he took the test himself, he scored a perfect 15/15 on the Physical Science section (99.9th percentile) and 12 on the Biological Science section (95th percentile).

AP Biology, Chemistry, Physics

Most students taking these tests work with Ray throughout the year, and so have a solid foundation going into the test. As the test approaches, Ray helps both new and long term students to focus on the test itself. Ray provides a comprehensive review of the material, and works with practice tests and problem solving as necessary to ensure that students are well prepared for this important test.

ACT & SAT

Ray helps students master the mathematics tested on both the ACT and the Digital SAT. For students taking the ACT, he also develops the mathematical reasoning, graph interpretation, and scientific analysis skills needed for success on the optional Science section.

Have questions, or ready to get started? Call me at (301) 717-8224 or email me at ray.dykeman@gmail.com. I'd be happy to discuss your goals and how I can help.