Eli Hiton
Tutor, Test Prep and Academic Subjects
Q. How do you like to spend your free time? Or what do you wish you had more time to do?
A. I love to practice piano. I’ve studied piano since I was six and it’s been a constant presence in my life, though in different ways. These days, I’m interested in bringing my piano playing into collaboration with others, accompanying singers, or playing at community events.
Q. Briefly describe your education and years of experience that qualify you to tutor your subject.
A. I’ve been a fan of math (and frankly of tests) for a long time. I received a BA in Mathematics from Kenyon College in 2023. The jump to college math was really exciting for me. Some of my courses involved diving back into problems from high school and middle school math but with new standards of rigor. We asked “Why do parallel lines never meet?” and “Why does 2+2=4?”All of my courses required presenting reasoning in a variety of ways and to a variety of audiences.
Q. Why do you want to be a tutor/what do you enjoy most about working with students?
A. In my experience as a teacher, I’ve enjoyed revisiting familiar topics afresh through the eyes of the student. It’s fun to remember what was challenging and exciting about a concept and to rediscover things I had been taking for granted.
Q. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
A. I enjoyed the teacher I had for Calculus III, Linear Algebra, and Complex Analysis in college. He was always transparent about why he was asking us to do something and why he believed it would assist our learning. Every couple of weeks in his classes, we’d complete journals that asked us to track our growth, identify weak spots, and try to explain our understanding of concepts in visual or unconventional ways. This style of intentional and upfront teaching made a big impact on me.
Q. What is the next Professional Development training/course you would like to do/take?
A. I’d like to continue learning about how through my work I can support underprivileged communities and fight injustice.
Q. What is the next Professional Development training/course you would like to do/take?
A. I’d like to go to graduate school sometime. I want to get more clarity about what I want to get from that experience but I know that I love school and I love learning.
Q. What truly inspires you?
A. I get inspired when I watch a great movie and I think about all of the time and lives that went into making it.
Q. What’s one unusual thing about you that not many people know? This can be a skill, an experience – anything really.
A. I’ve been enjoying baking and cooking recently. My college had few kitchens and a decent enough dining hall so I barely cooked at all in college. Being forced to cook for myself has been one of my favorite aspects of post-college life.