FAQs

What makes Meyers Learning Center unique?

Other tutoring companies try to fit your child into a generic student model. At MLC, your child is the model. Recognizing that students' needs depend on a variety of factors, we teach the whole student. Our individualized approach leverages student strengths while targeting individual weaknesses in the creation of customized educational support.

Our top priority is meeting the needs of the students we serve in the best ways possible.  Quality, professionalism, and excellence guide our services, our staff, and our development as a business.  In addition, our time management, organization, and study skills curriculum sets us apart. MLC specializes in teaching students these critical life skills for learning and success.

In summary, our approach is:

• Individualized, based on each student's unique needs, strengths, and challenges.
• Practical: students experience the benefits of their hard work.
• Collaborative and constructive: students join in the process.
• Beneficial: students learn to work smarter--not harder. We love to “graduate” our students from tutoring when they have achieved their goals.

Tell me about Meyers Learning Center's background.

Ali Zidel Meyers started her independent tutoring business in the late ‘90s. In 2005, Ali's husband Adam joined her to expand the company, creating a rigorous training program and hiring the best tutors in the Bay Area.  Ali holds a Masters degree in Social Work and specializes in teaching time mangement, organization, and study skills (TMOSS, for short) and Language Arts.  Adam has worked with young people for over ten years in various capacities (such as coaching, mentoring, parenting, and education).  He earned his MBA and MIM (Masters of Information Management) at Washington University in St. Louis.  He is also a TMOSS and math tutor.  Together, Ali and Adam bring their unique talents, passion for excellence, and commitment to students and families to their lifework.

Who are your tutors?

Our tutors are stellar educators, all of whom possess college degrees, and many with Masters degrees or PhDs.  Most of our tutors have classroom teaching experience, and those who don't have extensive tutoring experience (five years or more of direct teaching in tutoring contexts).  Each tutor brings his or her own grade and subject-level expertise to the table.  ALL of our tutors undergo rigorous training in our Time Management, Organizational and Study Skills curriculum.

In which subjects do you tutor?

We tutor most academic subjects from K-12 and some college level courses. We also tutor in time management, organization, and study skills. Some of our tutors provide tutoring in standardized test preparation.

Here are the most popular subjects that we tutor, by content area*:

Math

• Early math review or remediation
• Math Facts
• Pre-Algebra
• Algebra I and II
• Geometry
• Trigonometry
• Pre-Calculus
• Calculus
• Statistics
• Some AP math courses (depends on tutor availability)

Science

• Earth Sciences
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Some AP science courses (depends on tutor availability)

English

• Grammar
• Spelling
• Essay Writing
• Reading Comprehension
• Literary Analysis
• AP English courses (depends on tutor availability)

History

• U.S. History
• World History
• European History
• AP history courses (depends on tutor availability)

Foreign Language

• Spanish
• French

Time Management, Organization, and Study Skills

• Time Management
  • Building time awareness
  • Creating an effective schedule
  • Building an efficient study routine
  • Prioritization skills
  • Overcoming procrastination
  • Managing long-term projects
• Organization
  • Setting up effective organizational systems and routines
  • Managing school materials
  • Managing the transfer of school materials to home and back again
  • Building an efficient study environment
  • Problem-solving through organizational challenges
• Study Skills, which include:
  • Learning Styles
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Note-taking
  • Memory/Mnemonics
  • Test Preparation
  • Test-taking
• Communication/Self Advocacy skills
  • Understanding teacher expectations
  • Asking for what you need from teachers
  • Approaching teachers to build constructive dialogue
• Stress Management
  • Stress awareness
  • Relaxation and stress-reducing techniques

Standardized Test Preparation

Required for admission to most 4-year colleges:

• PSAT
• SAT I & II
• ACT

Required for admission to most private high schools (see individual school for details):

• SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test)
• ISSE (Independent School Entrance Exam)
• HSPT (High School Placement Test)

Do you offer workshops?

Meyers Learning Center provides customized workshops, based on the needs of families we serve.  Workshops are offered on a rolling basis, as requested and with a minimum enrollment of three students.  Parents initiate workshops based on their children's needs and schedules, requesting a topic, format, and schedule.  MLC provides the workshop, complete with our top-notch educators, valuable content, and dynamic instruction.  Please click here to learn more about our workshops.

Where do you tutor?

We meet students in their homes, schools, or at a mutually agreed-upon location (i.e. library, etc.) in the community.

When do you tutor?

Availability varies by tutor and may include mornings, daytime, evenings, and weekends.

What are your hourly rates?

Our standard rates can be found on our Rates page.

What is your process?

Our process can be found on our process page.

What is Tutoring/Academic Coaching?

Academic Coaching is our way of explaining how our tutors go beyond simple homework help.  We prepare, support, and mentor our students through their learning journeys by providing concrete strategies for effective learning.  In this capacity, our tutors help improve student's confidence, strengthen their study and organizational skills, and increase their overall academic achievement.

How can I contact Meyers Learning Center if I have questions?

You will get the fastest response via email, but feel free to use phone for matters that are not as time-sensitive.  See the Contact page for phone, email, and mailing address.

What is your cancellation policy?

If a cancellation is needed, families are expected to cancel tutoring with more than 24 hours' notice.  We charge for tutoring if a session is canceled within 24 hours, except in the event of illness or family emergency.  (There is no charge in those circumstances.)

How do I get started?

Please fill out the confidential web submission form on the Get Started page to begin the process.

How do you define and measure success?

Success is relative to each student's starting point, challenges, and motivation to grow.  It also depends on the goals specific to each student.  We support students in becoming confident, independent learners and view this as the ultimate success.