Hi, I’m Sam yarabek.
Much of my love for and approach to working with young people stems from the conviction that the right educational mentor can be transformative. Helping young people find their voice, discover their interests, and grow confident in who it is they are and what it is that they want to pursue has been the joy of my professional life.
My Approach
A successful tutoring or coaching relationship depends on the needs and interests of the student. I work with you and your child to build a personalized program that empowers your child to achieve their goals, excel, and grow as a confident, engaged, independent learner.
As an educator, I engage each student’s intellect but I also lead with the heart. I am not strictly a test-prep tutor. In hiring me, you are hiring someone who understands the challenges of adolescence and who brings love and compassion, as well as expertise, to his work with each student and their families.
My Experience and Training
I have been teaching and tutoring for 10+ years now. After graduating with honors in Philosophy from Colorado College, I attended Columbia University Teachers College where I earned a Masters in English Education. I have spent eight+ years since then teaching English, Philosophy, and Creative Writing to middle and high-school aged students in New York and California. Though distinct in culture and serving unique student populations, each of these schools prioritized student-centered education.
I taught at The Ross School in East Hampton, NY, as well as Besant Hill in Ojai, CA and The Grauer School in Encinitas, CA. Each of these schools helped me to develop as a mentor for young people in different ways. At The Ross School, for example, I learned how to support students with elite college aspirations, as well as students who were learning English as a secondary language. At Besant Hill, a “non-competitive” school which champions the “power of small” and boasts a 4:1 student-teacher ratio, I was trained in teaching executive functioning skills, developing individualized learning plans, and cultivating student-agency. At The Grauer School, where I also served as the surfing coach, I taught socratic seminar and learned how to prioritize student-lead initiative.
Throughout my tenure as a teacher, I have been working as a mentor, tutor, and academic coach for a wide variety of families independently of my work in the classroom. In the spring of 2022, I decided to leave the classroom to focus exclusively on tutoring and academic coaching for kids and their families.