Hi, My name is Sherwood Pidcock, I go by Woody.
I tutor math in person and online at all grade levels. As a Substitute Teacher in the Bellingham Public Schools, I meet lots of different students. Many of them have gaps in their understanding of the foundations of Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry and Precalculus. Teaching these students so that they can excel on their own when applying math concepts in science and advanced math classes is a delight! Also, tutoring college and graduate school students advanced topics in Linear Algebra, Algorithms and Combinatorics, and Discrete Math (such as predicate logic, calculating combinations and permutations, graph theory, and proofs) excites me.
I Love Math
Bucky Fuller is one of my heroes. So is Blaise Pascal. Math is my heart’s desire the way some people love sports or music. I understand it when people don’t enjoy math and numbers the same way I do. However, my love of this subject helps me engage students who find math boring at best, or perhaps just plain difficult. Every student can learn math, and maybe even learn to love it too. As I get to know my students better, I find ways to make this possible.
Boring Details
My education includes a Math Degree from MIT and a Teaching Degree from Harvard. These help me provide both accurate and clear answers to my students’ questions. I teach math as a language that has vocabulary, sentence structure, and rich culture. For me, math concepts are beautiful and true.
Family life brought me from Boston to Seattle, where I worked for Boeing developing, publishing and training people to use computing standards . Now I’m retired and live in Bellingham. When the COVID pandemic happened, I became an online math tutor.
Fun Fact About Me
Fun fact about me: I worked with my daughter to invent a 3D Connection Game that is Geometric.
Here is a picture of a three dimensional game for three players called Qua, which I designed using a 3D printer.