Testimonials
I am a NYCDOE mentor for new teachers. Having worked with countless new teachers over the decades, I can say with complete confidence that Mr. Mierlak is a natural born teacher. Mr. Mierlak has completely dismantled the SHSAT. His approach is strategic and specific… Using his analysis of the test, and his understanding of my child’s unique processing style, Mr. Mierlak designed problem solving techniques that were tailor-made for my child.
Mr. Mierlak naturally displays many teaching techniques that can take years to develop… he waits patiently for answers, leaving space in time for thinking. Praise is generous, specific and meaningful. Criticism is gentle, such as, “I’m not sure if the way you’re going will lead to the right answer. Here’s what I’m thinking”. I was also highly impressed with Mr. Mierlak’s calm demeanor and easy sense of humor. He built a rapport with my child, which went a long way toward motivation.
My child looked forward to test prep classes with Quinn. Working together, the two of them broke the questions all the way down, until my child had that ‘aha’ moment of actually discovering the answer. Each success led to more confidence and more success. Mr. Mierlak is one of those teachers for whom children will happily go that extra mile. His words carried weight with my child. Mr. Mierlak was keenly aware of the emotional impact of the test, so when he gave advice, it mattered. The time my child spent with Mr. Mierlak, was indeed a very worthwhile investment. I would highly recommend his test prep services.
Paul
My 8th grader is a smart girl who wants to go to Brooklyn Tech. She has been prepping for the SHSAT at home using Barron’s books. Her practice test scores however, were lower than they should’ve been. There was a wall she could not break through. She was especially having trouble with time management, and a lack of test confidence. I tried many different strategies, but I could not get her to finish her practice tests anywhere near on time, and she had a tentative approach to the test in general…
One of the most important things Quinn achieved was he gave my daughter a mind set, so that well before test day, she had already won the mental game that is a major part of this test. By paying attention to her emotional tolerances, Quinn got amazing work and effort out of my daughter, and he greatly improved her mental stamina. He was very mindful of her stress levels, which can be high.
So, if you like the idea of test prep being an arduous, grueling, drill and practice process that your child must endure, then Quinn is not for you.
But, if you want your child to be prepped by a brilliant, relevant peer, who has a solid value system and actually cares about your child as a whole person, then call Quinn. If you want highly focused periods of mental expansion and keen development of your child’s ability to analyze, think, and approach intimidating test questions with confidence, then also call Quinn. By giving my daughter a feeling of complete control of the SHSAT, Quinn broke through the wall that stood in the way of her performing to the best of her ability on this grueling test. She now finishes her practice tests on time and her approach to tough questions is brave. Her scores on practice tests are well within range to get into Brooklyn Tech. I am pretty sure this would not have happened without Quinn.
Janice
Quinn is a marvel. We hired him to help our son prepare for the math section of the NYC SHSAT but got so much more. Not only did he offer expert tutoring specific for this test, he discerned patterns of error, and guided our son to better strategies for problem-solving (including how to approach and figure out the stages implicit in the problem itself). They had a great rapport–my son actually looked forward to his meetings with Quinn.
Elizabeth
We realized three months before test-date for New York City’s Specialized High School Admissions Test that our son, who had no problem staying at grade-level in public school math, was nowhere near ready for the kinds of math on the SHSAT. Quinn was recommended to us as a gifted teacher of math skills. He’s definitely that; our son noted right away that he could follow Quinn’s explanations better and longer than what he got in math class. But as the work got harder and test-date approached, we saw that Quinn’s math skills were matched by his remarkable perceptiveness, empathy, and interpersonal imaginativeness.
As our son put it, “he understood my way of thinking at a level that no one else has.” A few weeks before test-date, our son started to protest, impolitely, that he was too anxious and exhausted to keep trying to build these skills. But Quinn stayed in the game with him, and with us, and our son met testing day with practice scores well exceeding what we thought was possible three months before. We feel very grateful for the work with him.
Arthur
After so much in-person schooling being missed during the COVID pandemic in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades we were looking for someone who could help our daughter improve her math grades and understand the mathematical concepts.
Quinn has an impressive academic background in math, and he knows how to translate his knowledge into an effective teaching style that resonates with our daughter. He breaks down complex mathematical concepts into simple and easy-to-understand steps. Our daughter has become more confident in her abilities and has developed a deeper understanding of the subject matter under Quinn’s guidance.
In addition to his strong technical skills, Quinn has a natural talent for connecting with a student. He has a friendly and approachable demeanor, which creates a comfortable learning environment for our daughter. He has let her know that if she can handle the pressure in middle school then high school and college entrance examinations will be easier to ace. He is passionate about math and appreciates how exact it is … it is a “pure language” – you either have the correct answer or you do not.
Quinn is also very accommodating if a scheduled online session needs to be moved to another day of the week because of a scheduled continuous assessment exam. His billing emails are clear, concise, and correct. He has given us time credits if there was an IT issue and a remote session did not happen as scheduled.
Quinn’s tutoring style is highly personalized, and he tailors his lessons to our daughter’s specific needs especially if she has a quiz or exam coming up in a day or two. He understands that every student has a unique learning style, and he has been able to adapt his teaching methods to accommodate our daughter’s strengths and weaknesses. His patience and dedication to our daughter’s success has been evident in her progress over the past few months.
Quinn is not only an excellent math tutor, but he also serves as a positive role model for our daughter. He has instilled in her the values of hard work, perseverance, and a growth mindset. Our daughter has learned the importance of setting goals, staying organized, and taking responsibility for her learning.
Quinn is going to help our daughter prepare for the SHSAT test in November. We are very glad to have Quinn as a strong and contributing academic member in our daughter’s village of support. He has a “growth mindset” and a “can-do” attitude which lifts our daughter to do her best in math and when she garners top marks on a test … he says … I’m not surprised … I knew you could do it!
We highly recommend Quinn to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, caring, and inspiring math tutor for their child.
Peter & Kathryn
I am a NYCDOE mentor for new teachers. Having worked with countless new teachers over the decades, I can say with complete confidence that Mr. Mierlak is a natural born teacher. Mr. Mierlak has completely dismantled the SHSAT. His approach is strategic and specific… Using his analysis of the test, and his understanding of my child’s unique processing style, Mr. Mierlak designed problem solving techniques that were tailor-made for my child.
Mr. Mierlak naturally displays many teaching techniques that can take years to develop… he waits patiently for answers, leaving space in time for thinking. Praise is generous, specific and meaningful. Criticism is gentle, such as, “I’m not sure if the way you’re going will lead to the right answer. Here’s what I’m thinking”. I was also highly impressed with Mr. Mierlak’s calm demeanor and easy sense of humor. He built a rapport with my child, which went a long way toward motivation.
My child looked forward to test prep classes with Quinn. Working together, the two of them broke the questions all the way down, until my child had that ‘aha’ moment of actually discovering the answer. Each success led to more confidence and more success. Mr. Mierlak is one of those teachers for whom children will happily go that extra mile. His words carried weight with my child. Mr. Mierlak was keenly aware of the emotional impact of the test, so when he gave advice, it mattered. The time my child spent with Mr. Mierlak, was indeed a very worthwhile investment. I would highly recommend his test prep services.
Paul
My 8th grader is a smart girl who wants to go to Brooklyn Tech. She has been prepping for the SHSAT at home using Barron’s books. Her practice test scores however, were lower than they should’ve been. There was a wall she could not break through. She was especially having trouble with time management, and a lack of test confidence. I tried many different strategies, but I could not get her to finish her practice tests anywhere near on time, and she had a tentative approach to the test in general…
One of the most important things Quinn achieved was he gave my daughter a mind set, so that well before test day, she had already won the mental game that is a major part of this test. By paying attention to her emotional tolerances, Quinn got amazing work and effort out of my daughter, and he greatly improved her mental stamina. He was very mindful of her stress levels, which can be high.
So, if you like the idea of test prep being an arduous, grueling, drill and practice process that your child must endure, then Quinn is not for you.
But, if you want your child to be prepped by a brilliant, relevant peer, who has a solid value system and actually cares about your child as a whole person, then call Quinn. If you want highly focused periods of mental expansion and keen development of your child’s ability to analyze, think, and approach intimidating test questions with confidence, then also call Quinn. By giving my daughter a feeling of complete control of the SHSAT, Quinn broke through the wall that stood in the way of her performing to the best of her ability on this grueling test. She now finishes her practice tests on time and her approach to tough questions is brave. Her scores on practice tests are well within range to get into Brooklyn Tech. I am pretty sure this would not have happened without Quinn.
Janice
Quinn is a marvel. We hired him to help our son prepare for the math section of the NYC SHSAT but got so much more. Not only did he offer expert tutoring specific for this test, he discerned patterns of error, and guided our son to better strategies for problem-solving (including how to approach and figure out the stages implicit in the problem itself). They had a great rapport–my son actually looked forward to his meetings with Quinn.
Elizabeth
We realized three months before test-date for New York City’s Specialized High School Admissions Test that our son, who had no problem staying at grade-level in public school math, was nowhere near ready for the kinds of math on the SHSAT. Quinn was recommended to us as a gifted teacher of math skills. He’s definitely that; our son noted right away that he could follow Quinn’s explanations better and longer than what he got in math class. But as the work got harder and test-date approached, we saw that Quinn’s math skills were matched by his remarkable perceptiveness, empathy, and interpersonal imaginativeness.
As our son put it, “he understood my way of thinking at a level that no one else has.” A few weeks before test-date, our son started to protest, impolitely, that he was too anxious and exhausted to keep trying to build these skills. But Quinn stayed in the game with him, and with us, and our son met testing day with practice scores well exceeding what we thought was possible three months before. We feel very grateful for the work with him.
Arthur
After so much in-person schooling being missed during the COVID pandemic in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades we were looking for someone who could help our daughter improve her math grades and understand the mathematical concepts.
Quinn has an impressive academic background in math, and he knows how to translate his knowledge into an effective teaching style that resonates with our daughter. He breaks down complex mathematical concepts into simple and easy-to-understand steps. Our daughter has become more confident in her abilities and has developed a deeper understanding of the subject matter under Quinn’s guidance.
In addition to his strong technical skills, Quinn has a natural talent for connecting with a student. He has a friendly and approachable demeanor, which creates a comfortable learning environment for our daughter. He has let her know that if she can handle the pressure in middle school then high school and college entrance examinations will be easier to ace. He is passionate about math and appreciates how exact it is … it is a “pure language” – you either have the correct answer or you do not.
Quinn is also very accommodating if a scheduled online session needs to be moved to another day of the week because of a scheduled continuous assessment exam. His billing emails are clear, concise, and correct. He has given us time credits if there was an IT issue and a remote session did not happen as scheduled.
Quinn’s tutoring style is highly personalized, and he tailors his lessons to our daughter’s specific needs especially if she has a quiz or exam coming up in a day or two. He understands that every student has a unique learning style, and he has been able to adapt his teaching methods to accommodate our daughter’s strengths and weaknesses. His patience and dedication to our daughter’s success has been evident in her progress over the past few months.
Quinn is not only an excellent math tutor, but he also serves as a positive role model for our daughter. He has instilled in her the values of hard work, perseverance, and a growth mindset. Our daughter has learned the importance of setting goals, staying organized, and taking responsibility for her learning.
Quinn is going to help our daughter prepare for the SHSAT test in November. We are very glad to have Quinn as a strong and contributing academic member in our daughter’s village of support. He has a “growth mindset” and a “can-do” attitude which lifts our daughter to do her best in math and when she garners top marks on a test … he says … I’m not surprised … I knew you could do it!
We highly recommend Quinn to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, caring, and inspiring math tutor for their child.