Frequently Asked Questions

how do you accept payment?

I’ll email an invoice after each session via Quickbooks, payable upon receipt. I accept credit cards and bank transfers, and you can pay using Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle. If you’re a check writer, that works too.

what if I have to cancel a session?

I find that students feel successful by keeping a regular, predictable meeting schedule. But, life happens, and schedules change. I have a 24-hour cancellation policy, so if you have to cancel, please try to do so 24 hours in advance - and email is best. I will bill for any missed session that is not cancelled in this time frame. If you need to permanently change your scheduled time, keep in mind that I have other students and will do my best to reschedule you, but your preferred time may not be available.

do you talk to my teachers?

I’d be happy to consult with your teacher at the beginning of our work together to get a sense of what their expectations are. If you’d like me to meet regularly with your teacher, that could be arranged depending on scheduling availability and will be billed at my hourly rate on the quarter hour.

What’s the client referral bonus?

If you refer a student to me and they sign up for a session, you will receive a $50 discount off your next session. Definitely give me a heads up if you’ve referred someone, so I can be on the lookout.

what schools do your students attend?

In the past two years, I’ve worked with students who attend:

Middle school: East Bay School for Boys, St. Paul’s Episcopal, The Berkeley School, La Scuola (SF)

High School: Albany HS, The Bentley School, Sterne School, Maybeck HS, College Park HS, International HS (SF), Berkeley HS, St. Mary’s College HS

College/University: Berkeley City College, Laney College, Willamette University, University of Arizona, Tulane University, San Jose State University, Whittier College (graduate), Chico State

Do you work with groups of students?

I do - let me know what you have in mind and we can discuss how that could work for you and your group.

you live in berkeley and i’m in a different time zone. can you work with me?

Absolutely! As long as there’s a space in my schedule that meets your needs, I can work with students from coast to coast on Zoom.

could we work together on Zoom during my free period at school?

As long as your school doesn’t have a policy against it and it fits both of our schedules, that works just fine.

What can I expect from our first session?

It’s really important that I understand how you learn, so you can expect me to ask you about what school is like for you in general - your favorite classes, things that bug you about studying, and even things like your pets and your hobbies. My goal is to make our sessions the best they can be for the way you learn.

do you work with homeschooled students?

I sure do - I can help students in public school, independent school, online school, home school - if you need help wrangling your school work, I’ve got your back.

Can my parents sit in on our sessions?

That’s a good question. I understand that parents want to know what they’re paying for, but I always like to balance student autonomy with transparency. It’s fine with me if your parents hang out nearby, but we should probably talk about how that would work for all of us before we start. It might be helpful to know that part of my fee includes a summary-and-next-steps email after each session to keep everyone in the loop about how things are going.

what happens if it feels like it’s not working?

My goal is to meet you where you are and give you time and space to figure out, with my guidance, what works for you and how I can help you best. I know that school gets tough sometimes, and part of my job is to help you work through those tough spots. But in rare cases, for any number of reasons, it might not work for you. I understand, and I’m happy to have that conversation to get feedback from you and your parents to see how we can find what’s best for you, even if it means that you don’t continue working with me.

what’s the deal with the name “firelight”?

I’m glad you asked! You can read about that here.