Door-2-Math Clinic Program

November , 2008

Dear Dr. Pan,

My son Adam is currently looking over my shoulder as I am writing this letter. Perhaps that is what I should have been doing through out his mathematical career but fortunately for me it   turns out to be a mutual benefit to all thanks to your coaching efforts.  Though he was the one who initiated our first contact with you, I've been pleasantly surprised as to how well he has mastered the concepts and discipline regarding trigonometry.   Our initial concerns where to improve his test taking abilities prior toward SAT and ACT exams, but have been rewarded with his overall outlook at actually pursuing an engineering degree!

You've been much more than just a tutor but that of a managerial coach, debate captain, and psychiatrist.  These involved make him a better student, critical thinker and leader in any field he is now confident of pursuing.  

Furthermore, involving both parents brings about a catharsis to all involving Adam's needs and helps each of us be more aware of what we can do  as  a  team.  

We still have disagreements as to what road he should take, but are all more at ease with his own decision making and are able to discuss it in a more advanced fashion.

I guess you brought out some of the maturity we've been waiting for and are thankful for that.   And as you know our other child currently in college will be following through with you in the hopes of building her self-esteem and confidence.  

By the way Dr. Pan, Adam just viewed the first sentence before moving on with a confident grin.

Thank you.  

Sincerely,

Carols O., Pharm.D. and Rosa O.

May 14 , 2008

To Parents Committed to Their Child’s Success:

If you are searching for a math coach, I know that your story is very much like ours and every other testimonial that you will read here.  Believe me when I say there is hope with Dr. Pan.  Our daughter, Amanda, a 5th grader at a local parochial school, became more and more distressed and disheartened about her math abilities.  Like you, our daughter had always struggled with math but was always able to be successful.  This year was different.  It was clear that Amanda’s struggle was deeper than a simple math problem.  Each day, and every math test, became a source of tears and stress.  We knew are daughter was capable but could not get her to recognize that understanding math was very much within her reach. 

When we began looking for a math coach, we knew this task would not be an easy one.  We were looking for someone who could help our daughter understand math and give her the confidence to tackle any math problem.  We knew that in order for our daughter to be a successful math student, understanding math was more important than learning the concept.  We were not looking for the quick fix.  We did not want her to move from one A to the next.  We wanted her to have the skills to achieve success after the sessions were over.  We wanted Amanda to become an independent math learner.  We did not want to have to send her to a math tutor every time she was faced with a new concept that she did not understand.

After meeting with Dr. Pan, it became clear that she was the only option for our daughter.  Not only did Dr. Pan understand our daughter’s learning style, she designed a program that would fit Amanda’s needs.  It also helps that she is very knowledgeable in the content area.  Even with all the positives that Dr. Pan provided as an educator, what we think was most important is that Dr. Pan was truly committed to Amanda’s success.  Never once did we feel that Dr. Pan was merely doing the job that she was paid to do.  Dr. Pan really wanted Amanda to do well, not because it would make her look better, but because she wanted Amanda to be successful.

So, you see, you are not alone.  There are many parents like us who are committed to helping our children become more confident with their math skills.  If you are looking for a caring, knowledgeable educator who can help your child achieve math success, we highly recommend Dr. Pan.  For us, she was our only option, and if your story is anything like ours, I bet she is your only option as well. Oh, and by the way, our daughter has her first “A” on a math test this year.  Thank you Dr. Pan for helping our daughter become a more successful math student.

Sincerely,

Richard and Toni E.

January 8, 2008

To Parents in need of math solutions:

Our daughter was 11 year old and starting 6th grade when we discovered Dr. Feenix Pan and her Door-2-Math program.  Our daughter had always been a very good student, although math was her least favorite subject.  While she was always capable, she lacked confidence in her abilities, and never seemed to retain the concepts long after the tests were over.  We knew the importance of a solid math foundation for her future education, and although we had no preconceived ideas of her becoming a mathematician we wanted her to have confidence in her ability to learn the subject so that it would not be a barrier to her future aspirations, whatever they may be.

We attempted several home-based approaches, online math programs, and math workbooks.  It seemed all of our efforts only resulted in frustration for us and further damaged our daughter’s confidence in her ability to conquer math.  When we thought we had exhausted our alternatives, we received a mailing and invested the Door-2-Math website.

With Dr. Pan’s guidance, we have discussed not just the math but the emotions and concerns the subject evokes in all of us.  Dr. Pan helped us understand that many people find math difficult, even those who are proficient in the subject.  She told of her own struggles to learn math as a young girl and how it made her feel.  Through this, she connected with our daughter and planted a seed of confidence.

While we still have several weeks to go in our program, we experienced positive results almost immediately (even tough Dr. Pan told us not to expect quick results as he program began).  I asked our daughter how she feels about math today and she said she is definitely more confident.  While she still thinks it is her most difficult subject, she is not afraid to learn it and feels that she can.

Sincerely,

Tom F.
Business Owner

April 30, 2007

To Whom It May Concern:

Our daughter Anne is a smart girl who was always able to get A’s and B’s doing a minimal amount of schoolwork.  She never developed effective learning and test-taking skills since she was never adequately challenged in school.  Algebra 1 in 9th grade provided that challenge, and she didn’t know how to deal with it. Anne started off well, since the beginning of the year was mostly review, but soon her A+’s were mixed with C’s and F’s.  She didn’t understand the concepts of Algebra 1. She refused to go to the teacher for extra help, and our attempts to help her were met with defiance and temper tantrums.

Dr. Pan has been able to explain math to Anne in a way that Anne understands, and she has also helped Anne with her test-taking skills. After a few sessions with Dr. Pan, Anne was earning A’s, doing her homework willingly and showing more confidence in Algebra 1.  Dr. Pan has been very patient with Anne and has calmly dealt with Anne’s ‘teenage girl moods.’  Anne enjoys her sessions with Dr. Pan; Anne says, “ Dr. Pan makes you think.”  Dr. Pan is continuing to work with Anne’s lack of self-motivation.

Dr. Pan’s math coaching sessions have been a very positive experience.

Wallace S., Engineer, and Meredith S., Homemaker

05/14/06

Dear Dr. Pan,

We are writing to thank you for your tutorial help with our daughter, Marian, this year. During her 5th grade at a private school, Marian had gone from an A and B student to a C student with D’s and F’s. Her self- esteem was very low and she had changed from an eager student to someone who loathed going to school or even thinking about school. Her worst subject this year was math -- a drastic change for someone who had won a regional science competition the year before. 

Part of Marian’s difficulty resulted undoubtedly from her new moodiness as puberty began for her and part was due to missing her outstanding 4th grade teacher from the year before. The greatest factor though was how her math was being taught, with a rigid 1-sided interpretation of concepts. We tried to help at home but with the emotional overlay of feeling like every math concept was a do-or-die issue to school success, our help exacerbated the problem. 

What you did, Feenix, was to bring a broad understanding of mathematics as well as an appreciation of the complexities of individual learning needs to bear on the problem. You took a thorough look at who Marian is and how she interacts with her teachers and us, her parents. Then you set out on a plan to help fill in some of the gaps in Marian’s understanding of math concepts; that was the easiest part. Next you taught her and us techniques to approach new math concepts in the future, drawing on the resources of books, her teachers, and her parents. 

After 6-8 weeks the progress was impressive: Marian became a confident student again, getting B’s in most of her classes, and several A’s. What Marian had lacked was not intelligence, but the confidence and several tools to put it to efficient use.  We would like to thank you for helping guide Marian to a path of positive discovery in learning again. 

Sincerely,

March 1, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:   

I’m very happy with the service that Dr. Pan has provided for my son Alejandro who is an 8th grader. 

When I called Dr. Pan, Alejandro was getting 60% on his pre-algebra exams and was very frustrated with math in general. He felt burned out and was tired of trying. During the initial assessment, Dr. Pan pinpointed areas where Alejandro needed the most work and then symmetrically patched the ‘holes’ after that. 

Two months after Alejandro started working with Dr. Pan, his pre-algebra scores climbed well into the upper 90s. He was doing so well in class that he was starting to get bored with the class material. When this happened, Dr. Pan took the initiative and talked to us about either freezing the program until Alejandro needs more help or finding more challenging material outside of class. My husband and I decided to move ahead and keep Alejandro challenged by working on algebra material. Dr. Pan then recommended the Saxon book and Alejandro is well into it by now. Even more impressively, Alejandro is now starting to use the tools he acquired while working with Dr. Pan to some of his other classes. 

I definitely feel that Dr. Pan cares about Alejandro and is always looking for ways to help Alejandro succeed in math. I highly recommend her service.

Sincerely,

Yadira L., R.N.