Meet Melody Walter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melody Walter.

Melody, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was first introduced to chemistry in high school, and fortunately, I had a great teacher then and in my first chemistry course in college. They helped me cultivate an enthusiasm for chemistry (and science) that led me to major in chemistry in college. After undergrad, I worked in healthcare for a few years as an intraoperative neurophysiologist but I missed chemistry and doing research, even though I loved the medicine, so I pursued a PhD at UGA and postdoctoral work at MIT doing research that had medical applications.

I had been tutoring and teaching students in some capacity during all of these experiences, but it had not yet become my primary focus. During my postdoc, I realized my passion for science education and communication rather than doing research at the bench. I then took a leap of faith and changed my overall career trajectory to teaching high school at a private school in Atlanta. Fortunately, I loved it! Then COVID happened, and my classes went virtual with only a few days’ notice. I quickly realized the potential of virtual learning and virtual tutoring. Rather than a family just finding a tutor who was close in proximity, they could hire a tutor who is the best fit for their child, has expertise in chemistry, and has a genuine enthusiasm for teaching it. Thus, Dr. Mel’s Tutoring was born!

I have taken a circuitous path to get to Dr. Mel’s Tutoring, but all of my experiences have led me here and help me be an even more effective teacher and tutor.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been challenges at each step of my journey. For example, leaving my postdoc at MIT to teach in high school (coupled with a cross-country move) was a huge risk. I didn’t know if it would pay off. Being a teacher is an incredibly challenging job, and I had no idea that a teacher’s first year of teaching is a trial by fire, starting on the first day! Fortunately, putting in the work, staying open-minded, asking questions, and being receptive to feedback helped me hone my skills for teaching and helped me foster my passion for teaching. Coincidentally, those are the same steps that are needed when learning anything, whether it is high school science, doing research at MIT, learning how to cook, or anything else!

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Dr. Mel’s Tutoring specializes in virtual chemistry tutoring and teaching at high school and collegiate levels. Our mission is to provide expert tutoring that cultivates intellectual curiosity as well as an excitement for learning about the world around us, both of which will facilitate academic success. We are passionate about helping students who are new to science and helping them succeed during this challenging year. In addition to Chemistry, we also tutor middle school math and science, social sciences, and study skills. Having one-on-one personalized attention with an expert who also knows how to teach is critical to a student’s success. We can help make chemistry and other challenging subjects accessible, interesting, and dare we say, fun!

Dr. Mel’s is different from other tutors because we have experience with both chemistry and how to teach it. We bring enthusiasm and good nature to learning in a subject that is not typically known for either. It takes empathy to understand where a student is coming from for a given topic or even a given day, and that empathy allows us to deconstruct roadblocks and facilitate a student’s success. I am most proud of our personalized, focused approach that is specific to each student with whom we work.

Contact Info:

• Website: DrMelsTutoring.com
• Email: DrMelsTutoring@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmelstutoringllc

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