About Nieman Tutoring
Nieman Tutoring is an in-home tutoring business in Lodi, CA, founded in 2015 by Brad Nieman, an experienced teacher and tutor. Our goal is to be a new kind of tutoring service. The methods we use are based on a unique philosophy of education that respects children as individuals and strives to help them become their own greatest teachers. We understand how children learn and we use appropriate strategies both to help them overcome their current challenges and to equip them to handle future challenges on their own.
We offer tutoring services for traditional schooling families during after-school hours as well as for homeschooling families during the morning and early afternoon hours. We also specialize in teaching dyslexic students how to read and spell using a research-based, Orton-Gillingham influenced reading and spelling program.
While our current services are focused on one-on-one tutoring, our hope is to expand our support for homeschooling families through consultation services, an informative blog, and helpful resources. We also want to encourage and support families who are considering homeschooling for the first time and help them get started with confidence.
Our Philosophy
One size does not fit all when it comes to education, because children are not all the same. We know that all children are unique, and they have their own learning styles, personalities, and personal challenges in life. One of our goals is to "study" each student and understand each child's unique situation and help them from where they are individually. We believe that children should be treated with respect, patience, and kindness, creating an atmosphere of trust where they can feel free to learn without fear of making mistakes.
Motivation - Love for Learning
We believe that the best way for children to learn is to have their own personal and internal reasons to do so. To put it simply, to cultivate a "love of learning" in children that drives them to learn for themselves. For children, learning is as natural as breathing. No one taught them to talk or to walk; they did it themselves because they wanted to. Their natural curiosity and desire to make sense of the world around them is what motivates them to learn. When we learn because we want to, we invest more of ourselves into it. The process becomes more satisfying and enjoyable, and we are likely to learn more and to remember what we learn for the rest of our lives.
Method - Learn for Themselves
When children are studied and observed to see how they learn and what difficulties stand in their way, one thing becomes very clear: children don't learn unless they learn it for themselves. In other words, children have to be the ones doing the work of learning. Because of this, we want to help teach children how to think, rather than what to think, equipping them with a variety of skills to help them teach themselves. Essentially, our goal is to work ourselves out of a job, one student at a time. We do this by equipping our students to become their own best teachers, with the confidence and determination to tackle any future difficulties on their own.
Purpose - Take Responsibility for their own Education
No matter how hard we might try, our children won't really get an education until they take an active and purposeful part in it. They have to want to learn and have a good reason to do the hard work of getting an education for themselves. How does that happen? It happens the same way for children as it does for adults. They have to believe that what they are doing is meaningful to them personally. Children, just like adults, don't want to do anything they think has no purpose to it. We believe that children will rise to the challenge of doing something difficult if they see it as important to them, now and for their future.
About Brad Nieman
Deciding what to do with your life is a daunting task; it certainly was for me. Not knowing what I was going to do after high school, I pressed forward to pursue a Bachelor's degree in science. I thought that if I just picked a major I was interested in, I would eventually figure out my career. It didn't quite work out that way, but during my senior year, I discovered a passion and talent for teaching.
After I graduated from UC Davis, I jumped right into the educational field as a substitute teacher for the local school district here in Lodi. Over the next several years, I also taught at two private schools and worked for a few different tutoring companies. I gained a great deal of valuable experience in teaching throughout those years. During that time, I also did a considerable amount of research trying to understand how education should work and what philosophy and methods work best with how children naturally learn. What I learned was life-changing, but also left me dissatisfied with schools, both public and private, as well as tutoring programs.
Seeing that there weren't any other businesses or schools in the area that had a similar educational philosophy, I started Nieman Tutoring in 2015 to fill that need and to make a difference in the lives of families in this area.
One a more personal note, I love spending time with my amazing wife, Catelyn, and my children, Tobias and Charlotte. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family, laughing, celebrating, playing board games, and the occasional serious discussion about life.
I enjoy going to the beach, hiking, swimming, and camping. I also love to sing and listen to music. I have several favorite musicians from a variety of different genres. My favorite group right now is an "a cappella" group called Home Free. I also sing in a local chorus group that sings every song in "a cappella" 4-part harmony!
How To Get In Contact With Me
I would love to hear from you! Let me know if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or would like to get started with tutoring or homeschooling by filling out the contact form below, and I will get back to you within 24 hours. You can also call or text me at 209-663-1247.
Sincerely,
Brad Nieman
Business Hours: Monday - Friday, 9am to 7pm
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