01
Learn
Build understanding.
Develop the concepts and tools that let new mathematics make sense.
Mathematical Mentorship
Learn. Think. See. Create.
A rare kind of mathematical experience, built around where you are and where you might go next.
One on one mathematical mentorship for students in grades 7–12, in person in New York City or online with students anywhere in the world.
Our work may help you understand what you are learning in school more deeply, take you beyond the curriculum through problem solving and enrichment, or offer new mathematical challenges when you are ready to go much further. A question or a simple curiosity of your own may even grow into a long-term mathematical investigation and, in some cases, work that can be submitted for publication.
Where are you mathematically?
“There is no royal road to geometry.”— Menaechmus
You may wonder why you need the quadratic formula, while finding yourself fascinated by puzzles, doodling, patterns, or questions that lead somewhere unexpected.
Mathematical curiosity can begin far from the mathematics we meet in class.
You don't need another math tutor.
You need someone who can see what you need next.
Learn. Think. See. Create.
What do you need next?
02
Think
Develop independence.
Learn what to do when you do not know what to do. Explore unfamiliar problems, test ideas, and become less dependent on someone showing you the next step.
03
See
Discover mathematics differently.
Notice structures, connections, and ideas that can remain hidden when mathematics is treated only as procedure.
04
Create
Follow a question of your own.
“A mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns.”G. H. Hardy
Develop an idea through exploration, conjecture, proof, or mathematical writing.
This is not a prescribed order. You may move among Learn, Think, See, and Create, or experience several at once.
What does a mathematical coach do?
Know when to explain. Know when to ask. Know when to step aside.
A clear explanation can move you forward. So can the right question. At times, the most useful thing a coach can do is give you the space to discover something for yourself.
The role of the coach is to recognize what you need next.
Where can a question lead?
Sometimes, much further than you expect.
A question can become an exploration. An exploration can become a conjecture, a proof, or a piece of mathematical writing.
From exploration to publication
Extending factorials to the gamma function
Constant-recursive equations and polynomial equations
About Cem
Mathematics educator.
Curriculum designer.
Mathematical coach.
I have spent more than 30 years teaching mathematics, beginning in Turkey and later at Trinity School in New York City and Avenues The World School. I currently teach at The Dalton School in New York City.
My work has included classroom teaching, mathematics leadership, curriculum design, and designing the curriculum and learning experience for individualized advanced mathematics programs at Avenues The World School campuses and at AEON, an online school. I studied mathematics as an undergraduate and completed a master’s degree in the philosophy of mathematics. That background, together with a longstanding love of literature and creative writing, continues to shape how I think about mathematics and how students encounter it.
Where could you go with mathematics?
Let's find out.
Each mentorship begins with a conversation.
We will discuss where you are mathematically, what you hope to explore, and what our work together might look like.
The mentorship can take different forms at different times. You may want regular weekly meetings throughout the school year, or prefer to keep an already busy school year less crowded and use the summer for a more concentrated mathematical experience. You may also be ready to pursue a long-term mathematical investigation, with the possibility of developing your work into a paper for publication. The right rhythm depends on the student.
Scheduling and rates can be discussed as part of that conversation.