Our Mission
At Kingfisher Prep, we believe that students learn best when they have a genuine connection with their teacher.
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We empower each student to ask challenging questions and bring their whole self to lessons.
Hi there! I'm Nathaniel,
and welcome to Kingfisher Prep.
I started tutoring New York City students one-on-one in 2015. I took students from many backgrounds: I taught children who barely spoke English how to navigate American schools and helped celebrities’ kids get into schools like Harvard and Princeton.
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I founded Kingfisher Prep because I believe that families all over the world should have access to world-class teachers. Our hiring process is stringent, and only tutors we believe will connect well with students and their families (not to mention rock-solid expertise in their field) make the cut.
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When I was in high school, the teachers I loved most were those who helped me understand why I needed to learn the material. I believe that genuine connection is the key to great teaching, and I look forward to every lesson because I know I’ll get to connect with a student who is learning not just academic material, but about themselves and who they want to become.
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If there’s a way we can help you, please let us know. We look forward to meeting with you and helping your student achieve the academic success they deserve.
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Nathaniel Dolquist
Founder, Kingfisher Prep
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Our Methods
Who was your favorite teacher in high school? Was it the one who taught you exactly what would be on the test, or the one who made you feel seen and listened to? Kingfisher Prep tutors strive to be both. We believe that clarity of instruction, detailed knowledge of curriculae, and years of experience make good teachers; connection with students, strong empathy, and a sense of camaraderie make great ones.
Ask questions
Our tutors have attended some of the best universities in the world. The skills they teach, whether math, science, music, languages, or essay writing, are what got them there. Many of them have parallel careers as lawyers, medical researchers, film writers, and actors: it’s this breadth of life experience that allows them to connect with students and help them understand why what they’re learning is valuable.
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Our holistic approach means that questions like these are welcome in lessons:
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Why is this important for me to learn?
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Is it weird that I love this subject so much?
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Is there a real job that uses this skill?
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Am I allowed to use my personal experience in this essay?
Our students don’t just learn math. They learn how to think, how to ask questions, and how to kindly but assertively make their voice heard. Because education isn’t just about the test: it’s about helping kids develop into responsible, healthy adults.
What really matters to you?
The last time you learned a new skill, why did you do it? Was it because you needed it for a job? Because you found a new hobby you enjoyed? Because someone standing in front of a bunch of desks told you you “had to because it’s on the test”?
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Our tutors help students understand why they need to learn. Or complete the homework. Or take good notes. Or remove second person from academic writing.
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The reason is different for each student. Maybe they need to ace a test to bring up their grade. Maybe they need to learn Spanish because they want to speak fluently to Grandma when she visits. Maybe they want to get into a top-tier school.
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Without understanding why, work is just work, and can lead to burnout and low motivation. Our tutors help each student find what motivates them, and teach them to apply it not just to schoolwork but to everyday life.
Can't you just give me the answers?
You can give a man a fish and teach him to fish. So often we hear, “my teacher never taught us this” (the most common classes we hear this about: trig and pre-calc). While we doubt that’s fully true, the fact remains that the student doesn’t know how to complete their homework.
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We don’t blame students for not knowing. Giving them all the answers won’t help, but going step by step, showing the work, and then helping the student through the next problem builds the skills they’ll need to get through it. If it’s silent near the the lesson, the tutor has done their job well: that’s the sound of a student who has moved from dependence to self-sufficiency.
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And then it’s probably time for a conversation about effective note-taking and paying attention in class.
The End Goal
Yes, we want your student to get better grades, ace the test, get into their favorite college, and win mountains of scholarship money. These are all important and help build discipline and drive.
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But what we really want is for your student to have all of these and get to know themselves better. We want them to understand which methods of learning work for them and which ones don’t, whether they prefer outlines or brain dumps, and if science is truly their favorite subject or just the one they’re best at. We want to provide them with a mentor who can listen, guide, and educate them with clarity and kindness.
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In the end, the students we teach are the next generation of leaders and creators. The current generation of leaders and creators is here to help them.