John R.
Cedar Park, TX
Experienced Math/Physics/Chem/Stat Tutor
University of Texas, Austin
MathematicsAbout John
As a tutor my goal has always been to have a positive impact on the lives of the students with whom I work. No magic wand will put the power of learning solely in my hands, but students that come to me prepared to work will find me a valuable resource and an enthusiastic ally. I have been working in the Austin area as a tutor for over 20 years,
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24 hours notice requiredGroup rates available.
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Travels within 0 miles of Cedar Park, TX 78613"Very knowledgeable and patient!"
- Sandra, Leander, TX on 2/8/15Both of my kids have been tutored by John for Alg 2 and look forward to their sessions. He provides positive feedback and gentle reminders. They aren't afraid to ask questions or try to solve a problem even if they aren't sure of themselves. Great teacher!
"Excellent tutor!"
- Madhavi, Austin, TX on 5/4/17John has been tutoring my son on a weekly basis for the past 4 months now. He is very patient and doesn't try to rush the student. He asks the right leading questions to help my son arrive at an answer or better grasp of the subject.
John is also very good with explaining concepts at the right level of detail for grade level but introducing slightly more advanced topics as a foundation for higher grades.
It's led to more confidence in my son, who now enjoys Math and wants to accelerate learning over summer. We appreciate John's help and hopefully my son can continue to learn with him through high school.
"Wonderful tutor!"
- Simmie, Cedar Park, TX on 4/12/17My daughter just said last night "Mr. John really gets her to understand the class". She really enjoys going to him as she feels that he gets the info across to her on her level. As a parent he goes over and above by sending helpful study guides after their meeting. He really is a wonderful tutor and we are so thankful we found him!!
"Chemistry"
- Patricia, Cedar Park, TX on 12/14/16John is very knowledgeable and very patient and very accommodating to the student's learning style. We love his enthusiasm for teaching as well! Thank you.
"Knowledgeble, patient, well structured"
- Paula, Austin, TX on 11/25/16My son had a very good start up with John, in Algebra. He quickly understood the concepts he was having issues with. We, certainly, appreciate John's competence, patience and the well structured guidance. We look forward to working with him again.
"First lesson with John"
- Lisa, Liberty Hill, TX on 11/6/16He was very friendly and professional . The room that he teaches in was very tidy and very organize. Looking forward to an other lesson.
"Knowledgeable in Statistics."
- Bethany, Liberty Hill, TX on 11/6/16We were able to cover a lot of material in the lesson. John used visuals to help me understand the concepts better.
"100% prepared"
- Suhaib, Austin, TX on 10/27/16He was 100% prepared, and explained the material thoroughly without any complications. If you want to hire someone for probability and statistics then John is your best bid out there on wyzant.
"Got Ready For Test"
- Steve, Leander, TX on 10/21/16We went to John for the first time prior to a test on the following day. He had a nice study room with desk and white board. My son took him the review for physics test. My son got a 95 on the test.
Thanks John!
"Very knowledgeable and personable"
- Sherry, Cedar Park, TX on 10/6/16John has been tutoring my son in AP Stats. As with any other 17 year old boy he does not want to "do school" any more than anyone else. He has asked to go to John on a weekly basis to help supplement school. Last night on our way to tutoring my son said that John can explain a complicated concept in friendly terms that helps him understand quickly.
"Very good physics tutor"
- Martha, Austin, TX on 10/2/16John helped my son prepare for the SAT Physics subject test. Daniel went from feeling unprepared to feeling very prepared, and felt that the test went well.
"Very knowledgeable"
- Bill, Leander, TX on 8/7/16This was my first time with John. I liked the environment he provided. He has a dedicated room with a white board, a table, and it's all free from distractions. John is very knowledgeable about statistics and was thoroughly familiar with the relevant subject matter. I would not hesitate to call on him again if the need arises.
"knowledgeable & great follow-up"
- Rob, Belton, TX on 8/1/16John R has a deep and broad knowledge base so he is able to quickly identify areas that lack understanding and explain it succinctly. He is amazing in following up - he gave our daughter a number of handouts containing principles in the areas she struggled.
"Excellent communication"
- Wendy, Leander, TX on 7/12/16John has been excellent at communicating details of each session with our teen. He has been great at making suggestions as well.
"Understands math at a deep level and very patient"
- Sandra, Cedar Park, TX on 5/27/16John has tutored all three of my teenagers and their understanding of math has deepened significantly because of him. Before we met John, math homework was filled with frustration and tears. After tutoring with John, the girls actually started to appreciate and enjoy math - what a difference! I highly recommend John as a math tutor.
"Excellent tutor!"
- Brooke, Austin, TX on 5/2/16John was very helpful today. We went over some homework problems and he went over the overall concepts that I was learning which really helped me for my final this week.
"Knowledgeable and explained things well..."
- Brad, Round Rock, TX on 4/26/16John helped me with per-calculus. He was knowledgeable, patient, and explained things well. I will definitely setup another tutoring session with him.
"The most knowledgeable and patient tutor."
- Ashley, Austin, TX on 3/26/16Helped with college level statistics and took time to teach me confidence intervals/hypotheses testing for my upcoming test. Each concept we went over he reviewed in detail the underlying concepts. It is worth the drive to get a one on one tutoring session!!
"Most prepared tutor I have ever used"
- Brandon, Austin, TX on 12/18/15I was immediately impressed when I arrived at John's house. He has a separate room that is set up for tutoring, including a whiteboard. He had already completed all of the problems that I sent him, and we were able to go immediately into the solutions. I will be continuing to use John as my tutor until I graduate from college.
"Knowledgeable and patient."
- Liza, Cedar Park, TX on 12/7/15John seemed to be both patient and knowledgeable. My daughter felt like she had a much better understanding of her AP Statistics material. Thank you!
"Really Great Tutor"
- Billy, Round Rock, TX on 10/29/15John is an excellent tutor, is really patient, knows what he is doing. He works out the problems in advance when I send them to him so the tutoring session goes on real smoothly.
"Knows his stuff and was very patient with me."
- Jennifer, Austin, TX on 10/18/15I was beyond confused on center of mass and centroids when I walked in and I left with more knowledge than I ever thought I could receive in such a short period of time. He cleared up everything that my university professors and TAs jumbled up in my mind. Great tutor!
"Knowledgeable and explained in easy to understand language"
- Tony, Pflugerville, TX on 9/22/15For the first lesson we reviewed statistics basics, normal distribution, central limit theorem and started to move into basic linear regression. John did a great job explaining in a way I could more easily understand the concepts.
"Knowledgeable and flexible!"
- Donna, Cedar Park, TX on 6/18/15John has been very helpful with both of my teens when they've needed to prepare and review for high school math and chemistry tests. He explains the concepts in a way that they understand, and offers suggestions to help in areas that they need more help with.
"Willing to schedule at a moment's notice"
- Dave, Cedar Park, TX on 3/6/15John is very accommodating with his schedule. As my son has struggled with Statistics in school and needs extra preparation for a quiz or test, John has been very prompt in returning my request for a session with an open time or two within a day's notice. This is helpful to be able to get immediate tutoring and at the time of the quiz for the last bit of practice work.
"Very helpful and willing to work with us"
- Michael, Cedar Park, TX on 3/6/15John has always done a great job!!
I attribute my son getting the ACT scores
he needed directly to John's assistance in math.
Wish we had met John sooner.
"Daughter enjoys her sessions and tutor feedback is great for parents!"
- MARLA, Leander, TX on 2/12/15My daughter enjoys her sessions and sees improvement in her understanding of the topics. The tutor feedback is helpful for me as a parent to mentor my student in study techniques and habits for these intensive subjects.
"Simply great"
- Robert, Austin, TX on 12/6/14John is a fantastic tutor who really cares about helping people learn. He has sent me emails outside the tutoring session with help and hints. Without John's help, I don't know who I would have passed statistics. Thanks John!
"Great First Impression"
- Sandi, Leander, TX on 11/17/14Our son likes the way John was able to re-explain the geometry material. We look forward to continuing tutor sessions with John. With his help, I am sure my son's confidence level will increase dramatically.
"Plain and simple, John is the man!!"
- Colin, Cedar Park, TX on 9/26/14Been working with John for the last couple months, and he is by far the best tutor I've had. Trust me when I say this, I've had a lot of them. His patience with going over the same material in different ways to apply my material has helped me tremendously. I give him a 5 star review. Thanks John.
"Excellent Tutor"
- Michelle, Leander, TX on 6/4/13John did a wonderful job helping my son who was struggling in Algebra II. His method, patience and onsite tutoring office helped to keep my son engaged. He was always available by phone or email if we needed to reach out to him.
"A world of difference!!!!!"
- Lisa, Round Rock, TX on 5/27/13John has done an outstanding job with our son and our son enjoys his sessions and always comes out understanding AP Calc so much clearer.
With John's weekly sessions our son was able to make it through AP Calculus. As most teenagers he was not thrilled about starting tutoring but after his first session he felt John was perfect in helping him learn and stay on track with his calculus. We are forever grateful that we found John on Wyzant!!
"Best Physics Teacher Ever!"
- Dee Dee, Cedar Park, TX on 5/19/13John has the perfect set-up in his home to teach physics, complete with a desk for the student, and a dry erase board.
I am extremely math challenged, and it was great to have John there to remind me of long forgotten math rules.
With John's help I was able to navigate through the strange new world of physics without having a meltdown, or giving up.
I would highly recommend John as a tutor. He is very patient, reliable, and kind.
"Great tutor to my son!"
- Beatriz, Pflugerville, TX on 4/26/13Great tutor to my son! Very nice and understanding tutor and so reliable. We are always able to reach by phone.
"Excellent, dedicated, result-oriented tutor."
- Simona, Austin, TX on 2/22/13John is priceless to any student interested in boosting his/her geometry skills. The methodology he employs yields surprisingly fast results, no matter the difficulty level of the problems discussed.
"Kind and Knowledgeable"
- Rona, Cedar Park, TX on 2/18/13John is always nice, and has a DENSE knowledge of Calculus I. He seems to know what I'm asking before I even finish explaining the question! He's been a great help to me whenever I need any extra instruction outside of school.
"Has made a huge impact!"
- Yvonne, Round Rock, TX on 12/19/12After just a few sessions our daughter's physics grade has sky-rocketed! We had never needed or sought the help of a private tutor and could not be happier with the results. Our daughter is very comfortable and at ease asking questions and working with John due to his laid-back style and patience. We only wish we would have sought help earlier. After struggling she just achieved a 99% on her physics final!
"Great Tutor"
- Christine, Cedar Park, TX on 12/11/12John does a great job of clarifying math and science for my son. He is always on time and easy to communicate with. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a tutor.
"Solid Teacher"
- Peter, Cedar Park, TX on 11/15/12My daughter has greatly benefited from John's solid understanding of the subject material he tutors her on. He is able to explain things that causes her to leave with greater confidence in the material each time.
"Goes the extra mile!"
- Kathryn, Austin, TX on 5/19/12My courses are confusing at best! I go to a non-traditional college, and the courses and assignments are confusing. John goes the extra mile to try and understand what I need and explain it to me. He has a no nonsense way of explaining it as well.
"Great Tutor Who Understands How Young Minds Work!"
- Vanessa, Cedar Park, TX on 3/16/12It's really great when your 11th grader jumps in the car and says, "ahhh, I understand pre-cal so much better" and she had a smile on her face after her session today!! John has helped our child and us feel so much better about pre-cal and we, and our daughter are breathing a sigh of relief that Monday, when she goes into her math class, she'll understand where she is in her course-work!! Such a gift! Thank you John! (again)!
"Excellent Tutor. Knows his clients."
- Robbin, Leander, TX on 2/24/12We have been very pleased with the results from John's geometry tutoring sessions with our grandson. John knows how to reach teenagers.
"Patient and Easy to Understand- Amazing!"
- Melissa, Cedar Park, TX on 10/12/11John has been amazing with my child. He is patient and does a great job of explaining each concept. He is easy to reach and keeps me updated on progress. We couldn't be happier!
Approved subjects are in bold.
Approved subjects
In most cases, tutors gain approval in a subject by passing a proficiency exam. For some subject areas, like music and art, tutors submit written requests to demonstrate their proficiency to potential students. If a tutor is interested but not yet approved in a subject, the subject will appear in non-bold font. Tutors need to be approved in a subject prior to beginning lessons.
Algebra 1
Algebra is not a subject many students get excited about right off the bat. However, I find that students' interest in the subject grows as they find they can master topics they once found merely confusing, and strong algebra skills are imperative to success in higher level math classes, and in many science classes, so I always encourage students to do their best, even when it gets a bit tedious.
As an algebra tutor my goal is to help students create a mental framework for the various topics they encounter in the class, and to discern between those that are topic specific, such as to linear or quadratic functions, for example, and those that can be applied more generally, such as transformations, and properties of inverse functions. I strongly encourage students to adopt a best practices model for their work, and to not work in a minimalist fashion. And, lastly, I encourage students to keep a math journal reflecting the various aspects of topics discussed in the class. The only way to succeed in algebra is to have an ordered understanding of the many topics covered, and getting those topics down in an orderly written form, in their own words, is a great way of building that mental framework.
Algebra 2
Algebra is not a subject many students get excited about right off the bat. However, I find that students' interest in the subject grows as they find they can master topics they once found merely confusing, and strong algebra skills are imperative to success in higher level math classes, and in many science classes, so I always encourage students to do their best, even when it gets a bit tedious.
As an algebra tutor my goal is to help students create a mental framework for the various topics they encounter in the class, and to discern between those that are topic specific, such as to linear or quadratic functions, for example, and those that can be applied more generally, such as transformations, and properties of inverse functions. I strongly encourage students to adopt a best practices model for their work, and to not work in a minimalist fashion. And, lastly, I encourage students to keep a math journal reflecting the various aspects of topics discussed in the class. The only way to succeed in algebra is to have an ordered understanding of the many topics covered, and getting those topics down in an orderly written form, in their own words, is a great way of building that mental framework.
Calculus
Many of the difficulties students encounter in calculus stem from gaps in their understanding of topics covered in algebra and precalculus. My method for teaching calculus is to relate the new ideas discussed in calculus to topics covered in previous classes. In this manner, any gaps or forgotten knowledge will necessarily be reviewed in the process, too.
For students in college or high school AP classes the pace of the course can also be a challenge, but as part of helping students through particular problems, my goal is also to help them relate ideas from multiple sections together, and to help them develop a conceptual understanding of the underlying principles at work, including graphical implications of many of the formulas used in calculus, as well as how these principles do, and do not, generalize. Using formulas is a necessary part of calculus, but in order to apply calculus to physics, for example, one must have a solid understanding of the underlying principles as well. Having studied advanced calculus, and several upper division physics classes, I can help students develop a deeper understanding of the material, as well as apply the various formulas correctly.
Chemistry
Doing well in chemistry is largely about knowing how to use the periodic table. However, early on there are other aspects of the class that depend solely on rote memorization, such as the formulas and charges of the common polyatomic ions, and basic formulas for things such as pH and molarity. A little math is involved when it comes to stoichiometry, but generally if a student can keep the big picture in mind, the mathematical steps are pretty simple. As a tutor, I strive to keep these different aspects of the class clear, and to help students keep the underlying picture in mind when working through different types of problems requiring calculations.
College and AP chemistry classes will contain more complicated, multi-step problems, often related to energy considerations, but a deeper understanding of the underlying general principles governing a process can help make sense of the ordering of the required steps needed to solve a complicated problem, and as I work through specific exercises with students, I will also emphasize these principles and how they apply.
Differential Equations
Differential Equations is truly one of my favorite subjects to tutor. Although I enjoy tutoring a wide range of math classes, I was never really excited about math until I enrolled in this class. While at UT-Austin, I made A's in Differential Equations, Vector Calculus, Real Analysis, and Vector and Tensor Analysis. I also made A's in the physics classes that required the techniques taught within them: Wave Motion and Optics, Classical Dynamics, Classical Electrodynamics, and Kinematic Astronomy. One caveat: many DE classes now include MatLab exercises. I am not familiar with MatLab.
Discrete Math
As an introduction to counting methods (combinatorics) and proofs, Discrete Math is one of the first proofs courses I took at UT-Austin. I made an A in the class as well as in many other related upper division math classes, including Linear Algebra, Probability, Real Analysis and Topology. Although I have seen variability in the difficulty of this class, based on the aims of the different teachers teaching them, I have yet to need to turn anyone away and feel very comfortable with the material.
Finite Math
Finite math is a survey of several topics in math from arithmetic to precalculus, as well as an introduction to various math disciplines not covered in the core curriculum. My study of math spans most, if not all, of the topics covered in this class, and also shows that I can quickly adapt to any unfamiliar topics covered at these levels. While working at Austin Community College, I also had direct experience working with students taking Finite Math.
Geometry
Geometry is one of the classes where I have seen some dramatic turnarounds in student performance. My experience has been that, due to the less formulaic nature of the class students get used to in arithmetic and algebra, they are not always sure what is expected of them in geometry. As a tutor, my goal is to help students understand what is expected of them in, for example, presenting a proof, as well as fill in any gaps in the required algebra they may have forgotten. I will instruct students to focus on the various postulates, theorems, and definitions required for success in geometry. Proofs are largely a matter of brainstorming first, and then stringing together a series of steps connecting the given information to the desired result, and justifying each of those steps with a postulate, theorem, or definition.
Linear Algebra
Linear algebra is both a computational and a proofs course. However, different instructors will often focus on different aspects of the course, so there is a fair amount of variability among individual courses. As a math major, I have studied a wide range of mathematics and am well-suited for tutoring linear algebra, but proofs cannot always be quickly generated on the fly. When possible, I ask students to let me spend a day or so on the material before our session, in order that the session itself may go more smoothly. For much of the simpler material, such as matrix or vector operations, being able to brainstorm on the material beforehand may not be of much importance, but it doesn't hurt.
Logic
As a math major, I made A's in several proof courses, including intro to real analysis, and real analysis.
Physics
Physics is going to be a challenge for nearly every student the first time through. Ideally, I like to meet with students early in their studies and help them understand what I consider the most important topic for them to master first, vectors. This understanding is crucial to success in the class, but some students may not have the prerequisite math (precalculus), and/or the importance of vectors may be underemphasized by their teachers.
Beyond that I like to present strict algorithmic methods students can consistently apply when solving general classes of problems, as for kinematics, Newton's Laws, conservation of momentum, work and energy, and rotational dynamics, etc. Having studied calculus-based general physics, upper-division Newtonian physics, classical electrodynamics, and waves and optics, as well as having tutored high school and college physics for several years, I can help students keep the big picture in mind as they determine which equations, and how to use them, to solve easy or complicated physics problems.
Prealgebra
Strictly speaking, pre-algebra refers to the arithmetic required for success in algebra, such as how to work with positive and negative numbers, how to apply the arithmetic operations (+, -, *, and /) to fractions, how to work with exponents, and the correct "order of operations" to apply to expressions containing multiple arithmetic symbols. However, there are also often underemphasized aspects of pre-algebra that students will do well to focus on, too: those of mathematical definitions and properties of numbers and number systems, that are used extensively in algebra, such as the commutative and associative properties of addition and multiplication, the distributive property, the sets of: natural, whole, integer, rational, irrational, and real numbers, and many others.
As a tutor, I don't want to see students get overly bogged down in this abstract aspect of the class. I want students to be able to use them in a second-nature sort of way. But transitioning from arithmetic to algebra is abstract in nature, and it is imperative, if students are to understand what they are reading in an algebra textbook, or the instructions on a test or homework, that they have a proper understanding of the vocabulary used, and the general properties of numbers drawn upon, within a text, or by a teacher. Furthermore, it is exactly these types of definitions and properties that are most important in a class like geometry, where a student has to justify each step of their work with a definition, postulate, or theorem. As a pre-algebra tutor, I help students work through specific problems, but also remind them of the properties of numbers used to justify the steps involved, in the hopes they will be able to apply these definitions and properties in ever more sophisticated ways in their ongoing study of mathematics.
Precalculus
Precalculus is a class where most students will start to have some issues, even if they have been doing very well in earlier math classes. I suspect this difficulty arises for two main reasons: one is the novelty of new functions encountered, such as the trigonometric functions, and two, because this class draws heavily upon properties of functions studied in algebra, which may have been forgotten or underappreciated. As a pre-calculus tutor, my goal is to remind students of these properties, where applicable, and to help ease the transition into trigonometry by breaking down the various aspects of the trigonometric functions into those that must simply be memorized, and those that are interrelated. I will also help them minimize the amount of rote memorization required by exploiting the interconnections between many of the topics covered.
Statistics
I think the key to first-year statistics is keeping the big picture in mind, both figuratively and literally. All of the sections over normal distributions, t-distributions, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing are so closely related. If one understands what the Central Limit Theorem implies, and how to exploit it, one can quickly work through several sections in the text with no problem. My goal as a tutor is to help students grasp the big picture, understand the Central Limit Theorem, and see how various sections in the text are interrelated.
Graphs are also a great tool to visualizing the probabilities studied in statistics, and many teachers require students to include graphs in their work. I also prefer to get a good picture before trying to use formulas to find probabilities. My experience has been that until a student can consistently generate the correct pictures, they will struggle with the formulas, but once they understand how to correlate desired probabilities with their corresponding graphs, they can easily adjust the formulas as they move through related sections in the material, and consistently generate correct answers.
Trigonometry
Trigonometry is a class where most students will start to have some issues, even if they have been doing very well in earlier math classes. I suspect this is for two main reasons: one is the novelty of new functions encountered and, two, because this class draws heavily upon properties of functions studied in algebra, but which may have been forgotten or underappreciated. As a trigonometry tutor, my goal is to remind students of these properties, where applicable, and to help ease the transition into trigonometry by breaking down the various aspects of the trigonometric functions into those that must simply be memorized, and those that are interrelated. I will also help them minimize the amount of rote memorization required by exploiting the interconnections between many of the topics covered.
Other Cedar Park, TX Tutors
John R.
Cedar Park, TX
Experienced Math/Physics/Chem/Stat Tutor