"So What do you do, Dr. Pan?"

"You know how people hire private bankers to manage their wealth when they finally hit an IPO, win the lottery or inherent large amount money? Well, I’m a private educator.  I help parents manage their kids’ k-12 education, particularly in the area of mathematics.  As the world economy globalizes, a child's math proficiency level determines what career choices he/she can and can not have. "

 

"How did you get started?"

Right around the time I was finishing up my doctoral dissertation in space telescope design, I began getting panic phone calls from friends who had for years hated math, but now wanted to get into elite business schools.  They were asking for help with getting over the math roadblock so they could realize their full potential.

At the time, I didn’t want a defense job after my Ph.D., so I figured why not help those tormented souls to dissolve their math fear and buy myself some time to figure out if I really want to pursue an academic career like my father, who has been an university professor longer than I had been in this country!

Well, it turned out that I’m a math whisperer of some kind.  Within 10 weekly lessons, I helped a friend who was failing her algebra to ace her Calculus class and passed her entrance exam to Duke’s business school!  Then she referred me to some of her other friends.  They were happy with the results, their spouses were happy, and I was happy because I really liked it and was good at it and I could actually make money doing it – what a concept!

I began getting calls from friends of friends and colleagues who had seen the living proof that math can be tamed.  And when a friend got me a teaching position at a local community college, I applied my methodology to group settings and got excellent results.  One day, my boss’s boss, the Dean of Science, Engineering and Technology called me at home.  It turned out her 9-year-old daughter, Emily, had been struggling for years with math and although both she and her husband are both scientists with advanced degrees, they could not dissolve Emily’s math fear.  They’ve tried everything from tutoring, to Kumon, to Sylvan, to teach her at home themselves, but nothing worked.  I started working with Emily in December, and within 4 months, Emily got her first 100% on an exam and for the first time, got on the Honor’s Roll.

Since I did a great job dissolving her daughter’s math fear, the Dean referred me to others, and I became the Math Whisperer.  For the last 6 years or so, I have been using my 12 years of training in advanced mathematics and my personal struggle in math as a youngster to unlock the mystery of math for my students.

Today, as I’m getting even more experienced, my service has evolved from math tutoring to math coaching, to not only help students learn how to learn but also to help parents navigate the k-12 education landscape.

I work with a family anywhere from 4 months to 5 years.  I also have special forums for parents, particularly Moms, on how to best give our kids roots and wings.  Recently I have been invited to give talks to churches and PTAs."

 

"Anything new this year ?"

I once taught myself to play the cello, and one night, I found myself playing along with my 7 year old daughter during her violin practice. When my daughter couldn’t take it any more, she said "Mommy, you make math easy but your cello sounds awful!" Nowadays, I listen to Yo-Yo Ma’s recordings and practice cello after my daughter has gone to bed!"