Come hear our music educators perform at ArtNight Pasadena! We’ll be playing on the front steps of Pasadena City Hall. Food trucks will be on site, as well. Grab some dinner and enjoy the show!
Our art instructor, Gwen, will be drawing a chalk portrait of Jackie Robinson while also facilitating a chalk art experience. Come draw with us at ArtNight!
The most rewarding part about being an educator is seeing my students improve and succeed in the subjects that were once nightmares for them.
Having had the same experience as many struggling students, I understand that it can be extremely challenging to conquer these academic barriers. Having the ability now to help them overcome their weaknesses is so rewarding!
Though my students are in different grade levels, and vary in subject focus– from science to mathematics– they all seem to struggle in a similar fashion. It’s not that they are incapable of understanding the material, it’s that they don’t have a key or trick to understanding the foundational science or math behind the problems.
It is my job to guide them towards discovering their own trick that helps them remember the information, and help them see that learning is fun.
I enjoy painting outside of teaching students. It helps me to relax and destress from schoolwork, provides me with a fresh perspective on this world, and most importantly, allows me to encapsulate moments and memories in a physical form.
The teachers and mentors at the company are all passionate about their studies and teaching. We also all want to make learning easier and more fun for our students!
Call or email us to speak to a representative and sign up for sessions now.
Having immediate positive feedback is one of the most exciting things about being a math tutor. Witnessing the impact I have on a student’s success makes me incredibly happy and satisfied. When students begin to understand concepts in our sessions, they will often excitedly ask me to give them another problem to solve. Watching them solve the problem completely on their own is almost always the most rewarding part of the session – for the student and for me.
One thing I noticed is that students tend to have an abstract, all-encompassing fear of math. Students often say that math is hard for them but have trouble pinning down exactly what is difficult for them. I believe knowing the timetable plays a very important role in students’ liking of math. Having this integral foundation makes the whole math process a lot smoother and it also gives people a sense of confidence to deal with whatever comes next, a sense of readiness. Although it may be daunting for some students to learn their times tables up to 10, it pays off tremendously. I also see many students struggling with fundamental algebra rules such as adding/subtracting fractions, multiplying decimals/fraction etc. With students taking algebraic courses, I like to go through math problems that use all of these basic rules to refresh their memories. Going through these fundamentals can help students identify and tackle their areas needing improvement. And doing so will set them up for success.
I love the outdoors. Camping, hiking, biking or even simply driving on the freeway in wide open country. It helps me to think and connect with myself and helps me cultivate a different perspective. I also love music, especially the music from the late 70s through the 90s. I recently began teaching myself the guitar to learn my favorite song, “Landslide.”
The company treats its employees well and pays them better than most other tutoring companies while also offering some of the lowest rates around to students. With the rising cost of living, the company is even raising the pay for all of us in August. And on top of that, the company also donates 20 percent of its profits to local nonprofit education organizations such as SPEF and PEF. Giving back to the local community and prioritizing employees’ wellbeing is something I believe in and I am grateful that the company and I are on the same page.
Call or email us today to learn more and start sessions.
Draw with us at the South Pasadena Arts Crawl! We will be located next to the Walking Man statue at the South Pasadena Metro Gold Line Station on Saturday, July 16, from 5-7pm. Our expert art instructor, Gwen H., will facilitate the event and help those who want guidance on their drawings. See you there!
The most rewarding part of being an educator for me is watching a student make progress and seeing how it excites them to learn new things.
The biggest struggle I see for students is simply a lack of motivation. Sometimes students aren’t interested from the beginning and with those students, it can be very challenging to get them interested. I like to help them explore their musical interests and other instruments to see if another area of music piques their interest.
I enjoy playing basketball outside of teaching, as well as making my own music.
I enjoy working for Hodis Learning & Music because of the culture of mutual respect and kindness.
More about Alex:
Teaching is learning twice. I get to make a living out of studying and exploring music along with my students. I love seeing their fresh perspective as they learn new musical concepts and use them in ways I wouldn’t have.
Music theory seems to be a very common one. I believe that a lot of the standard approaches to theory are a bit disconnected from the music the student loves.
Music theory is a lot more than just harmony, but these terms are used interchangeably by teachers quite a bit. Music theory encompasses melody writing, lyric writing, sound design, story structure and more. Harmony is one of the ways to create tension and release in a piece of music, but it’s definitely not the only one, and hasn’t been amongst the most used ones in popular styles of music for decades.
You can’t expect a student to care about harmony if it doesn’t explain the music they love. A theory teacher must be able to identify the driving elements in the music the student is interested in, and explain how those create tension and release.
For the students who are, in fact, interested in studying harmony, It only makes sense to do so in conjunction with ear training. Analyzing chords on paper has little use if you can’t hear the effect it has in the music.
I strive to get my students to the level where they don’t just know music theory, they hear and understand it.
I love composing, producing tracks for artists and playing live.
Hodis Learning & Music pays well, treats their teachers well, and cares about how much their students are evolving, rather than strictly focusing on retaining students at any cost.
More about Bruno:
Schedule a session with our expert guitar teacher today!
For me the most rewarding part of being an educator is seeing students excel on their instruments and have fun while doing it. Usually students make the most progress when they are having fun and are inspired. I make it a point to facilitate this kind of environment when teaching.
I see students struggle the most with rhythm. To help this, I encourage students to count and clap rhythms at the same time. Doing this away from the instrument can help solidify what the rhythms should sound like in their ears and mind. I also like to help by counting along or using a metronome at a slow pace while students play. This helps them play the easy and challenging parts of the piece at the same pace. Once students develop this foundation, they can start to play the whole piece without stopping.
Outside of teaching I enjoy playing bass professionally in many different contexts. I also enjoy running. Last year I worked up to running a half marathon.
Hodis Learning & Music is a great company to work for because Drew is a kind and compassionate owner and he is continually improving upon the already great opportunities for students and educators. Being from South Pasadena, he also has a lot of professional and personal connections in the community.
More about Tim:
Seeing a student gain confidence in a subject or skill they didn’t think they were good at. Of course, seeing each student improve is rewarding, but sometimes it takes them a little while to trust and believe in themselves. When they do, that’s when I know I’ve done my job as a tutor and educator.
I also enjoy using unconventional teaching methods. Sometimes students will be surprised that they can learn in a different way than they do in school– like learning math outside. That’s the benefit of having a tutor working with them one-on-one; we can try new approaches that support learning and reinforce the material in a way that’s specialized to the student’s needs.
I help a lot of students with reading comprehension and getting their reading skills up to or beyond their grade level. The best way to do that is to have students read more– in sessions and outside of tutoring sessions. Just 30 minutes a day of supervised reading can really help them improve.
Think of it as a student conditioning like an athlete every day. Their tutoring sessions with me are like their skill days, or personal training days, where we can do more outside of just reading together. We can practice vocabulary, reading comprehension, story composition, and even write together. All of these things reinforce reading skills and help students improve.
I enjoy reading, working out, cooking, and spending time outside. I enjoy walking around my neighborhood, going to the park, and being out in beautiful Pasadena.
Drew Hodis cares deeply about what he does. He cares about us as educators and helps us be the best we can be. He listens to feedback and advocates for his employees.
Drew also cares about student satisfaction and success because he himself values learning and education. And to top it all off, he also cares about the community he lives and works in.
He has valuable knowledge of the local school curriculum and standards, which allows him to help students more effectively.
I believe all these things make Hodis Learning & Music a great service and company to work for and I’m excited to see us grow!
It’s a company I really believe in and feel good about sharing when I hear someone is looking for tutoring, music lessons, or art lessons.
Come see our musicians perform at the Eclectic Music Festival on April 30 at 8:45PM!
Hodis Learning & Music representatives will be at the event to answer questions and hand out informational materials.
We look forward to seeing you there!
When things click for students, students start implementing techniques on their own. It’s rewarding seeing the things you’ve taught taking effect.
A lot of times it’s the creative aspect– pushing students to create what they want to create instead of copying what other people do or what they think they should do. To help with that, we’ll do visualization and creative method activities.
I also see students struggle with technique. To help them, I like to teach by doing, and I’m also patient. Students will get it if they keep working on it.
Making my own art, reading, gardening, hanging out with friends, going to the farmers market, and cooking.
I think the individual nature that HLM emphasizes when working with students makes it unique and great. You get so much more working one-on-one with students than you would in a class because each student is different.
Read more about Gwen here.
