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Organic Chem Tutoring by Emeritus Prof with 40+ Years of Teaching Exp
James D.

5.0 (357 ratings)

1,993 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $70
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Response time: 16 minutes

About James

Bio

I am passionate about teaching and equally committed to identifying ways to help my students succeed. Now retired from active college teaching, I aspire to keep that passion alive by tutoring students in the wonders of organic chemistry, be it in helping them learn to think critically about and enjoy the subject, tackle homework problems, study for exams, etc., while identifying their strengths and potential weaknesses. As the first person in my family to attend college, I was inspired by a...

I am passionate about teaching and equally committed to identifying ways to help my students succeed. Now retired from active college teaching, I aspire to keep that passion alive by tutoring students in the wonders of organic chemistry, be it in helping them learn to think critically about and enjoy the subject, tackle homework problems, study for exams, etc., while identifying their strengths and potential weaknesses. As the first person in my family to attend college, I was inspired by a great teacher, namely my organic chemistry professor at Luther College. I earned B.A. degrees, with honors, in both chemistry and mathematics from Luther and eventually a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Oregon.

In all, I have 42.5 years of successful experience teaching challenging organic chemistry courses, primarily, but not exclusively, to traditional college students (i.e., those aged 18–22). Most of my organic chemistry teaching experience has been at Lewis & Clark College (37 yrs), where I was a finalist for "Teacher of the Year," but I have also taught the subject at Reed College (2.5 yrs), the University of Notre Dame (2 yrs), and Boston University (1 yr).

The final 40 years of my organic chemistry teaching was distinguished by holding unique, weekly, and compulsory 1-hour "conferences" in which students worked individually and in small groups at the blackboard on a common problem they had not encountered before. These sessions invariably involved significant tutoring and should serve as valuable experience that I can pass on to you as your tutor. In general, my organic chemistry students found me enthusiastic, highly prepared, accessible, a strong motivator, and able to answer virtually all their questions.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. The experiences I gained in working with and meeting the individual needs of students representing a wide range of skill sets in my conferences, should serve me well in providing an individualized learning experience for you.

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Education

Luther College
Chemistry and Math
University of Illinois
Graduate Coursework
University of Oregon
PhD

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $70
  • Rate details: In-person group tutoring available at a rate of $20/hr extra per additional student.
  • Lesson cancellation: 12 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 1/15/2019

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

My study toward a PhD in organic chemistry was supported by a competitive NIH Predoctoral Fellowship, and my expertise in the subject was considerably enhanced by one-year sabbaticals at MIT and the U of Washington. I have taught both semesters of Introductory Organic Chemistry, including lectures, compulsory conferences (that involved significant tutoring on my part), and laboratory, as well as several advanced organic chemistry courses including Physical Organic Chemistry (my specialty). While I have retired from classroom teaching, I keep up to date in the field by continuing to be an active scholar—publishing articles with undergraduate student coauthors in top journals and serving as an active reviewer of organic chemistry manuscripts. My most distinctive publications (2018 article in J. Org. Chem. and 2010 article in J. Am. Chem. Soc.) emerged from my most recent work in the theoretical and computational chemistry of organic chemical reactions, and hence I should be particularly skilled in tutoring the more theoretical aspects of organic chemistry (e.g., atomic and molecular orbital theory) and in how to use computer molecular modeling as a learning tool.
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Response time: 16 minutes

Ratings and Reviews

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Reviews

Expert Knowledge, Genuine Care

I came into Organic Chemistry feeling completely lost— but working with James changed everything for me. He explained things clearly, step by step, and always made sure I actually understood the why, not just memorized the what. We went through practice problems, mechanisms, and full exam reviews, and I was able to confidently work through the exam, and I know that’s because of his help. What really stood out to me was how much he cared. He went above and beyond — answering any questions that I had, being patient when I was overwhelmed, and helping me feel capable when I really didn’t. It’s rare to find someone who’s that knowledgeable and that supportive. If you're struggling with Organic Chemistry, or even just want to deepen your understanding, I can’t recommend him enough. I’ll definitely be returning for Organic Chemistry 2!

Jessica, 7 lessons with James

Great Tutor!

He is patient and clear in his tutoring, allows you to pick what you think you need most help with and revisit material as many times as needed. Great at communicating!

Connor, 10 lessons with James

Knowledgeable and patient!

Every tutor is very knowledgeable in the subject that they teach but not everyone can impart the knowledge to students successfully but James was able to do so for my daughter. I really appreciate him and his efforts!

Karen, 6 lessons with James

Quick to reply, accommodating, reduced my daughter’s stress about Organic Chemistry!

It was a pleasure dealing with James. He was so accommodating and quick to reply and schedule a lesson. My daughters’ stress about organic chemistry was appeased.

Daniele, 2 lessons with James

Highly recommend

I highly recommend Professor James D for tutoring in Organic Chemistry! I had him for weekly lessons in Organic Chemistry 1 and 2, and his tutoring helped me because he clarified concepts and provided additional depth that was sometimes missed in class. If there is a concept that did not stick with you, he will research and follow up with additional sources outside of the lesson. He truly cares and wants you to learn. His knowledge and patience makes him a great tutor for Organic Chemistry that I cannot recommend enough!

Kim, 31 lessons with James

worked well with my son in college

Did a great job getting to know my son’s strengths and weaknesses in O-Chem. Helped prep for exam focus. Thank you.

Vic, 6 lessons with James

Fantastic OChem help.

My son recently started tutoring with Professor James D in Organic Chemistry. Professor James is patient, kind and interested in helping my son learn this difficult subject. We feel fortunate to have found him.

Ryan, 4 lessons with James

Best Organic Chemistry Tutor

James was an amazing tutor to me during my Orgo 1 and 2 classes. He was always extremely patient, and would have a variety of ways to help me understand a topic. It is evident that he cares deeply for his students, and this motivated me to excel in the course. He is very knowledgeable and professional. He has helped receive an A!

Pratik, 65 lessons with James

Great Tutor!

James is an absolute professional who obviously is a master of the subject . As a tutor, he is very patient and understanding and has a great rapport with the student-WE will be working with James all year!

Sean, 36 lessons with James

Knowledgeable and helpful tutor

James helped me go over my weekly homework assignments and helped explain in detail any concepts I did not fully understand. I really appreciated how he was able to come up with extra examples as well as prompt me through my questions so that I could better engage with the material. I found his teaching style very helpful and he helped me to understand the reasoning behind different equations and mechanisms so that I could apply the same concepts to new problems and do well on the tests and future problems. Additionally, he took the time to look up and provide detailed explanations of any question he was not able to answer during our tutoring time.

Annie, 7 lessons with James
Hourly Rate: $70
Response time: 16 minutes
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