Online for the 2024-2025 School Year
Teacher: Amelia Chan
Email: mathamelia3@gmail.com
Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
Albert Einstein
Application
Students intending to enroll in AP Calculus in the future have the choice to participate in a Self-paced Honors Precalculus course. This AP Precalculus class will focus on both the Precalculus material and readiness for the AP exam.
Anyone interested in joining Ms. Chan’s Precalculus class should fill out this application and pay the tuition in order to hold the spot.
Course Description
This AP course is designed to provide a comprehensive study of functions, which are the basis of calculus and other higher mathematics courses. The students will study the properties and graphs of trigonometric, polynomial, rational, inverse, exponential and logarithmic functions, inequalities, polar coordinates, complex numbers, conic sections, vectors and matrices.
Course Fee
Early Bird Special: $699. After June 30 is $750.
Who Should Apply?
All students should have successfully completed Geometry and Algebra II. If you have not completed Algebra II, please sign up for my Honors Algebra II class or other classes at www.mathamelia.com. See how AP Precalculus fits into your mathematics pathways.
Taking the AP exam is optional, especially for those who are going to take AP Calculus. For students intending to enroll in AP Calculus in the future have the choice to participate in a self-paced Honors Precalculus course (link to be provided soon). This AP Precalculus class will focus on both the Precalculus material and readiness for the AP exam.
Why Take This Class?
The course:
- Prepares students for calculus (including AP Calculus AB and BC) and to succeed in both STEM and non-STEM majors. Students who take math all 4 years of high school are 140.5% more likely to be considered “college ready” and “calculus ready.” Taking the AP exam is optional.
- It can fulfill a math requirement at a diverse range of colleges and universities, including the majority of public institutions. The course also offers a valuable tool for guiding math and science placement for newly enrolling students. College Board is working with colleges and universities to expand credit policies and ensure that AP Precalculus sets a strong foundation for college success.
- Students interested in non-STEM majors to take a fourth year of math with the opportunity to earn college credit or placement.
Textbook
No textbook is required for this class. In the first year I taught AP Precalculus, I used the textbook "Precalculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic (AP Edition, 11e)" by Franklin D. Demana, as it was the only available textbook with AP Precalculus material. However, since the AP exam is so new, this textbook does not fully align with the exam and lacks some context. Instead, I will provide materials that perfectly align with the AP Exam.
Technical Requirements
- Computer, high-speed internet access, e-mail capability, with camera
- Smartphone or scanner to save multiple handwritten pages as a single PDF file
- Graphing calculator – TI-89, TI-Nspire, or TI-83/84 Plus
Course Delivery
A. Online platform.Students access class materials on Canvas and College Board AP Classroom any time most convenient for them. All class materials are available 24/7.
- Teacher produced video lectures for each lesson.
- Weekly assignment, quizzes chapter tests and exams
- Free Response Questions will be graded by the instructor.
- College Board designed practice test questions.
B. One optional live Zoom session per week with the instructor that focus on key concepts, challenging assignments, AP multiple choice and free response questions. Attendance is optional and recording will be made accessible for those who cannot attend.
Course Schedule
Class will run from Aug 28, 2024 through early May 2025. There will a Thanksgiving break, a winter break in December and a Spring break. Exact dates to be determined. Weekly optional live Zoom meeting meets every Tuesday, 9 am to 10 am PST (12 pm – 1pm EST). Attendance is optional but viewing is mandatory. Recording will be made accessible for those who cannot attend.
Grading
- Homework & Quizzes: Homework is extremely important. Your success in this class is dependent upon your ability to work and understand the homework problems. Watch the video and do the homework.
- Chapter Tests: There will be a test at the end of each chapter.
- Exams: There will be a midterm and final exam.
Question
You can ask questions through several ways:
- Discussion forum. Students, TAs and the instructor will be answering questions there.
- Come to live class with your questions.
Instructor Qualifications
I hold an M.A. in Mathematics from Columbia University in New York and a B.A. in Mathematics and B.A. in Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley. My professional background includes work as an Investment Banker, Financial Software Engineer, and Actuarial Consultant. After my children began school, I decided to homeschool them, customizing courses to fit their individual abilities and needs. Through this experience, I began teaching math to homeschool co-ops and after school classes. Many of my students have excelled academically and won national math competitions. I have taught math online and in-person for over 15 years. I am passionate about teaching students from all over the world and seeing them succeed in math. For more information about me and my teaching philosophy, please visit www.mathamelia.com.
Testimonial (more at www.mathamelia.com)
There are many math teachers in this area but what makes Amelia different is her love for students. She does not only guide the student’s math education but genuinely cares for their emotional well being. There is a lot of pressure studying in this area. We need more teachers that are thoughtful, encouraging and loving like Amelia.
Amelia, you have made a strong impression on my daughter in the first lesson. She said that if you were their math teacher for Algebra, everyone would love you. She does not enjoy math but you have made her feel really comfortable with it just by one class. That is a huge compliment coming from a very critical almost teenage girl. Thank you.
My two daughters have worked with many tutors and taken many math classes even Russian Math school and Amelia Chan has been by far the most skilled at explaining math concepts in a quick, efficient smart way that has translated to very high scores on placement exams. She is no nonsense and respects our time and efforts and I would highly recommend her.
When we started tutoring with Amelia, we were having trouble with rational functions, now we have mastered that and are on to trig topics and understanding them in depth.
I really enjoy going to tutoring sessions, because I know every minute will be used efficiently to help me move forward at the fastest pace possible. She makes sure I understand and can do my work as efficiently as possible and is always able to give targeted advice without missing a beat. I am sure she could do this for first graders up to a really high level and am glad we used her for alg 2/trig.
Amelia makes the middle school and high school math so easy to learn for us. Math is not that complicated after all.
Amelia has been teaching my son Geometry since August; I think she could tailor a class or tutoring to meet anyone's needs. She's been engaged, progressing quickly, doing his homework, and he appreciates that she relates the math to real life with stories and examples. We would like to pass on this recommendation to anyone else who is looking for excellent math instruction!
Our son didn’t feel the kind of confidence he has doing math until he started working with Amelia. Amelia’s talent lies in the way she teaches — she is great at how she explains problems and concepts in digestible ways for our son to absorb. She is keen on how her student is feeling, working through a problem, and is very kind giving reassurance and praise. Math now is fun for Ethan and he really looks forward to his tutoring sessions with her.
My daughter is 9th-grader whose has been tested to be at a third-grade math level. She didn't have a solid foundation for Algebra when we came to Amelia at the beginning of the school year. However, after 3 months of lessons and homework, Amelia has brought her up to level. My daughter is now able to start Algebra 1 and finish it by the end of her freshman year. Not only she caught up with math, more importantly, her confidence level has significantly increased. To me, that is priceless.
Amelia has been working with my daughter for several years. Amelia’s mathematical expertise is impeccable. My daughter has completed all the advanced math classes with ease with Amelia’s assistance. I highly recommend Amelia for advanced math learners.