Siran Cao - Private Tutor in London
I grew up in a family that moved every few years, so I attended school first in private academies in Singapore, then the U.S. public school system. I went on to Harvard University, where I focused on the social sciences and graduated with a degree in Women & Gender Studies. After working in tech in the US, including over 3 years building and leading the customer support organization at Uber, I am currently pursuing a Master of Science at the London School of Economics.
As a lifelong bookworm and overall nerd, I look to bring that excitement for learning to those around me, be that within a classroom or in the workplace. During my undergraduate years, I focused my extracurricular time tutoring in and leading an organization that provided free English Second Language classes. At Uber, I personally coached 11 direct reports to develop leadership, analytical, and people management skills, either directly promoting or facilitating their promotion to higher level roles within the company.
I am well versed in the US system, including AP and college entrance exams, and I particularly enjoy working with students through the entire admissions processes, especially when it comes to personal essays. In addition, I can support any students looking to gain presentation and data analysis skills. You can always count of me to bring some humor and levity to facilitate learning, whether the topic is the SAT exam or using Excel.
Subjects I Teach
- College Counselling (U.S.)
- English
- Essay Writing & Editing
- History
- Interview Practice
- Microsoft Excel
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
- Presentation Skills
- SAT
- SSAT
- Social Theory
- Verbal Reasoning
My Education & Qualifications
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The London School of Economics, 2018 – 2019
Social Business & Entrepreneurship (MS): -
Harvard University, 2008 – 2012
Women & Gender Studies (BA):
My Tutoring & Teaching Experience
Phillips Brooks House Association, Harvard University - English Second Language: 2009-2012
My Approach to Tutoring
I find so much joy in learning, and my approach is to bring that joy to my students. Often, I find a bit of humor does the trick; in fact, I once made up a song to help a friend's sibling with polynomials. It was set to the tune of Mulan's "I'll Make a Man out of You" and went something like this:
"Let's get down to business, to equate the sums
Is it MacLaurin or Taylor, or neither one?"
But seriously, my goal is not only to help my students learn the material, but also to help instill the drive for success. While it's hard to apply the term "tutoring" to my professional experience, I build strong relationships with everyone I mentor. It doesn't matter whether I'm working with someone on excel, presentation skills, time and stress management, or general career guidance; there are transferrable skills and mindsets that I bring to all mentees and students that help equip them beyond a single subject or area. I'm invested in my students and mentees, and I work with each person to learn how to learn, to discover their own "why" and drive to learn, and to succeed.
Fun Facts About Me
I was a pretty hyperactive child, and the only extended lengths of time I willingly sat down was in front of a piano. I've grown into a hyperactive adult, so I spent my time outside of work sprinting (either in parks or past tourists in New York City) and Olympic lifting (never in parks, never lifting tourists). Now, as a full time student, I still spend my time outside of school sprinting and Olympic lifting; however, I've added voracious podcast consuming and dreaming about Excel to my repertoire. Yes, the latter is sadly true.
My Client Testimonials
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Presentation Skills
"Our time together here has been invaluable. Siran has been an incredible teacher, one that has always shown me firsthand that there is no challenge too hard, that mediocrity should never be standard, how to mold a work ethic that commands respect amongst her peers, and many more that would easily qualify Siran with a life-lessons book contract."
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Otherwise, you can read about our tutor selection criteria, or read about Wentworth Education's philosophy and approach in a letter to parents from Dr Katherine Wiles, our Founder. You can also see more tutor profiles on our tutors listing page, where you can filter by subject.
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