Michigan Mentors

Maybe you are struggling with algebra or baffled by trig functions. Maybe you can't find the right words or can't see the misplaced modifier.

My name is Joshua Friendly, and I would like to help.

Sure, math can be tough, and writing an essay can frustrate. But you are a better student than you give yourself credit for. You may just need to spend some time in the company of a tutor who can build your skills and your confidence.

I've spent my career as a classroom math teacher and as a private math coach helping hundreds of students make the transition to understanding and using the concepts central to the math curriculum. More recently I switched to teaching English because I wanted to try it and Michigan certifies me in both disciplines.

I am skilled at getting students to understand topics that they have struggled with previously because I am able to present material in a wide variety of ways, to learners with a wide variety of learning styles. I understand your curiosity about the world, and I can help you develop the skills you need to grapple with that wonder.

Whether it is homework or SAT's, I can help you get the insights you need and the scores you want.

This year, with my kids at home, I will be with them and, if you like, with you.

The pandemic means we may often have to learn in isolation from our regular teachers, our classmates and our friends. But it doesn't mean that you will have to struggle alone.

My Teaching Philosophy

I seek to create a learning environment that builds on the diverse gifts that students possess, toward our shared goal of their success in and beyond the classroom.

A good teacher possesses not only a great love for the content of the curriculum she is teaching, but also a love for the process of helping others engage that material.

One of a teacher's greatest, and perhaps overlooked, assets is the intrinsic motivation that students possess to understand and explore themselves and their world.

Students rise to meet challenges. They will do so readily when a teacher explicitly values their ideas and their voices.

The students must rely on me to bring rich and difficult and pertinent questions to the table, and help them develop the means to grapple with these questions.

I must trust that they will bring their ideas and questions, so I can better understand how they are making meaning of their experiences in and out of the classroom.

Our society gains what it needs more desperately than anything: a new generation of well-informed and highly-engaged citizens and lifelong learners willing to share in the task building an equitable global society that values knowledge and compassion.

Between Student and Tutors

Virtually every student looking for a tutor's support struggles with some combination of these two things: content of the curriculum and a reliable sense of self-confidence in the subject matter.

On the content side, I am deeply knowledgeable in a broad range of academic and test preparation subjects. I am certified to teach in both Math and English, and I have taught both with great success in Public and Private schools for 15 years. I have taught everything from remedial Pre-Algebra to Calc BC.

I am skilled at getting students to understand topics that they have struggled with previously because I am able to present material in a wide variety of ways, to learners with a wide variety of learning styles.

My deep-seated belief in my students' abilities allows me to support them in developing self-efficacy and independence in learning.

Above all, I am a patient and generous and talented teacher who knows that anyone can learn anything with enough effort and time and knowledgeable support.

My Qualifications

Click here to view my CV.

My career-long experience as a private tutor, including test prep, and a full-time teacher in both an independent and public secondary school makes me uniquely qualified to help you.

I spent more than a decade working as a tutor in both test preparation and academic areas for Princeton Review and later independently. My academic areas of excellence include high school and college math, up to and including multivariate calculus, and all topics encompassed in English Language Arts.

My training and experience at Princeton Review allowed me to rise to the top ranks of the faculty there, ultimately becoming a master trainer of teachers and manager of various programs. I taught classes and tutored in a huge variety of standardized tests, including PSAT, SAT, SAT Subject, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT and more. My comprehensive knowledge of these tests allowed me to develop curricula that were both specific to content and broad enough to include general standardized test prep strategies for success.

My sterling word-of-mouth reputation as both a class teacher and private tutor was an asset to both the company and myself. The same was true at the tail end of this part of my career when I transitioned to working independently. My ability to deliver valued services to students and their families allowed me to develop a viable independent business in Ann Arbor, commanding high fees and ensuring long-term employment. Again, my work at this point was both in academics and in test preparation.

I am eager to leverage my comprehensive knowledge of test prep content and strategies and my effective pedagogies and communication skills.

Contact Me

Please feel free to email me at jrfriend@umich.edu or call me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx for more information.