About Brian Thorsen

I’m Brian Thorsen (he/him), an Oakland, CA based math and statistics tutor! My love for mathematics and statistics began with a book on probability theory that my grandfather gave me when I was 12. Reading about the Monty Hall problem— something that was proven to be correct, and yet I profoundly could not understand— and seeking to resolve that paradox was a thrill I never grew out of.

I was inspired to go into education thanks to my incredible music teachers in junior high and high school. They modeled a truly democratic approach to education, where student and instructor are on an equal standing and equal parts of the conversation. At UC Berkeley, I had the opportunity to serve as a teacher’s assistant for a probability course, which cemented for me that I wanted to teach math in particular.

In my spare time, you can find me playing the electric and upright basses, prepping for my next session of Dungeons & Dragons with my friends, or tending to my ever-encroaching swarm of houseplants!

  • While my primary focus nowadays is math education, my first four years as a teacher were in teaching jazz performance, directing introductory jazz ensembles both in high school and in my first two years at UC Berkeley as part of their DeCal course program.

    At Cal, I majored in statistics with a concentration in education. For two years, I served as an [under-]Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) for a probability theory course (STAT 134), where I received an Outstanding GSI Award for my work as a head uGSI for the class.

    After graduation in 2019, I stayed at Cal to work at the Student Learning Center, first as a Senior Tutor and eventually a Coordinator for the Math/Stat Program. In that time, I taught adjunct courses, led workshops and review sessions, and trained and supervised undergraduate peer tutors. My goal, then and now, was always to support all students to thrive in learning math.

    Within these roles, I developed a nuanced, research-driven understanding of the factors that both enable and inhibit students in developing mastery of their course material. I’ve tutored and supported a wide range of math and stats courses, and identified what works best to meet the evolving learning needs throughout your academic journey, across both traditional and online learning environments.

    In June of 2022, I relocated to the Temecula area and began my private tutoring services. To learn more about my current services, please check out my Prospective Students page!

  • My tutoring approach places you, the student, at the center. I seek to understand where you’re coming from in your prior knowledge and experiences, where you’re currently at in your overall coursework or the immediate material, and what your ultimate goals are. Working from your current framework of knowledge and skills, along with identifying what helps you learn best, will allow you to construct a rich and nuanced understanding of whatever you seek to learn.

    There is nothing like the lightbulb moment when a student recognizes what it means to *own* their knowledge for themselves. To deeply understand the how and why behind the problem, and be able to defend their solutions and teach it to others with confidence. For some students, this is quite familiar, though it’s no less of a thrill each time it happens. If this hasn’t happened for you yet in your math courses, that’s perfectly normal too– far too often, students are denied this opportunity. When it does “click”, and it will, it’s practically addictive: you won’t settle for less, and you’ll demand this deeper understanding at all times from yourself and your education.

    I firmly believe that– with the proper tools and holistic support– all students are capable of achieving success in their mathematics education. Moreover, it is the right of all to access the opportunities afforded by this education. From seeking a career in academia/STEM to simply seeking to be a more informed citizen of the world, navigating today’s world of big data and discourse around science demands a richer set of quantitative reasoning, data literacy, and problem-solving skills than ever before.

    A rich education in math and statistics helps open these doors and helps provide you a seat at the proverbial table. For me, there’s no greater joy than helping open these doors for others. I hope to do the same for you or your student.