Areas of Specialty:
(click on each for more info)
Math
One of the primary areas in which I tutor students is mathematics — starting with the later elementary grades and continuing through 9th and 10th grade Algebra I and Geometry. I have twelve years of classroom experience, including as the middle school math teacher at AESA Prep Academy in Austin, as the middle school math teacher at Progress School of Austin, as an Apollo 20 Math Fellow at Attucks Middle School in Houston, and as an upper elementary lead guide (all subjects) at Austin Montessori School.
Writing
I assist young writers-to-be in overcoming their resistance to writing and can help them generate drafts of essays and reports and turn those into finished manuscripts. I assist writers of all ages in overcoming ‘writer’s block.’ As a published creative writer, and with experience in the publishing industry and as a freelance copy editor, together with many years of undergraduate- and graduate-level work in Philosophy, academic and critical writing is a particular strength. Working with adult writers of books, blogs, memoirs, and scholarly articles is a growing part of my work.
General
Some students need extra support in overall study and organizational skills, note-taking, reviewing for tests, and completing homework and projects in a variety of subjects. And many families find that the otherwise peaceful relations between parent and child become strained and contentious when they try to collaborate on schoolwork. I can help your student stay on track and can serve as an intermediary between you, your child, and his or her teachers.
Chemistry & Other Sciences
We now expand into high-school Chemistry and other sciences! ATX Tutoring welcomes Avery Schimpf to our team of tutors. Avery is a senior Chemistry major at St. Edward’s University, here in Austin. She has served as a Teaching Assistant for multiple college-level Chemistry labs, as a Supplemental Instructor for college-level Chemistry courses, and as a volunteer with LifeWorks Austin as a GED health sciences tutor. In all of these capacities, Avery worked one-on-one and in small groups to assist students in their academic work in Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. Avery is available for in-person or virtual tutoring.
Test Prep
The best strategy for preparing for a standardized test is to spend the time and effort it takes to become fluent in the areas being tested — by working hard in one’s classes, completing homework, and reviewing for class tests. The makers of the SAT, ACT, ISEE, and other standardized tests actually have done quite a good job of making it difficult to improve one’s scores simply by ‘cramming’ for their tests (this despite what some test-prep books and review courses would like you to believe). While I can help a student come up with a study plan for such a test, can recommend study materials, and can serve as an accountability coach, I do not offer (and don’t believe in) last-minute blitzes or ‘tricks’ for taking standardized tests. I do, however, offer the building-up of fluency in subjects (especially math, reading & writing, and critical thinking — the major components of most standardized tests), over time. Starting early, and working consistently over an adequate span of time, is the most effective path towards solid test scores.
Audie has truly been a gem to work with. He has been kind, considerate, and patient not only with my child but in every communication and interaction with us. Another positive attribute in working with Audie is that he regularly provided thoughtful and detailed feedback on my child’s progress. I think Audie’s genuineness and his ability to bring out the best in my child has been such an asset for the past year in particular [during the pandemic]. My teen who has veered towards being taciturn even shared “I learned a lot from Audie.” In my mind the previous statement can stand on its own in capturing what other younger folks will gain from being tutored by Audie.
I am an adult student who hadn’t used math in several years and had always struggled with it in school. I found myself in a situation in which I needed to pass a math test with not a lot of time to prepare, so my husband contacted Audie through his website. Audie came over to our home and spent the whole afternoon going over all of the different things that would be on the test — Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, etc. He was able to help me understand and remember formulas and methods, through clever visualizations and fun ways to look at the problems. He ended up working with me over the next few days and even made himself available in the evening to help get me prepared. He encouraged me and made me feel like I could really do this! On the day of the test I was so nervous, but I just remembered everything Audie had taught me — and I passed! It was the greatest feeling, and I absolutely could not have done it without Audie’s creative and dedicated instruction. I highly recommend him to anyone who may not ‘love’ math (like me); he can help you see it in a way that you will be able to use it to succeed. I am so grateful to Audie for his knowledge and for his approach to teaching. I’m living proof that if he can teach me math, he can literally teach anyone.
Audie worked with our two boys on math for several months and they each experienced tremendous progress as a result.
Prior to beginning tutoring, our older son was struggling a bit in his 5th grade math course. His confidence was low and he seemed to have decided he wasn’t really all that good at math. After working with Audie weekly for a few months, he scored in the advanced range on his STAAR test, and his new middle school determined he is two grades ahead and recommended he take pre-AP classes in 6th grade. When we informed our son, we were heartened to see his excitement and pride in his accomplishments, which replaced the self-doubt he might have exhibited in the past. It was remarkable to observe Audie work diligently to build a strong rapport with our son while utilizing engaging methods to help the material come alive for him. During his sessions with Audie, our son grew in confidence and is now more self-assured and more aware of his true capabilities as he begins middle school.
Our 3rd grader also showed solid improvement in math following his sessions with Audie. His STAAR scores improved dramatically after receiving some rather low scores on initial practice exams. Audie was quick to observe our son’s drive to succeed in other areas of his life and helped him apply that same enthusiasm and grit to academics. Audie’s holistic approach helped identify inherent strengths in our son and Audie then utilized them to help our son improve in math.
Throughout his work with our children, Audie maintained excellent communication with us as parents, ensuring we were informed of strategies being utilized and progress being made. Audie is an adaptable and thoughtful tutor who is skilled at connecting with children as well as helping them to learn and master academic material. We recommend him heartily!
My son did not like math at all and was very intimidated by it. Audie set my son’s mind at ease and helped him gain the confidence he needed. We used Audie’s services for a few years. During that time, our son went from struggling (5th grade) to skipping ahead by one year (8th grade). I’m not saying this will happen with your child; I’m just saying that Audie was able to connect with our son better than the school teachers were.
Audie has been tutoring my daughter for a little over a year now, and things have been going really well. My daughter has severe dyslexia and ADHD and struggles greatly with math. And although Audie isn’t specifically trained in learning disabilities, he has really taken the time to get to know her and understand her learning style and where she struggles. She tends to really shut down quickly if something seems too intimidating, and he can sense when she’s about to hit a wall. He knows when to push a little more, and when to pull back. He has the amazing ability to sneak newer, more complex material in with material she is already comfortable with, in order to eliminate much of her anxiety and defensiveness. She has never enjoyed math and never really enjoyed tutoring, but she happily gets on the computer for her Zoom meetings with Audie, and she doesn’t even complain about math anymore!
Our daughter was getting ‘average’ scores in math on standardized tests when we started working one-on-one with Audie, and she quite quickly (within the first semester of our working together) moved up a level in math and now is planning to take two math courses in the same year during high school in order to reach AP Calculus by senior year.
What situations might call for a tutor?
A tutor can be useful in situations in which a student:
- needs support in one or more subject areas — either to catch up, to stay current, or to move ahead into advanced classes.
- scored below expectations on a recent benchmark test.
- struggles with general study or organizational skills, homework or project completion, or test preparation.
- is changing schools, is making the leap from elementary to middle school or from middle school to high school, or is changing from one style of education (Montessori, Waldorf, homeschooling, small private, or large public) to another.
- does not ‘click’ with a particular teacher and needs to have the material presented in a different, more individualized way.
- finds that an otherwise pleasant relationship with a parent is strained when the two try to collaborate on schoolwork.
Where do you meet with students?
Note: As of June 1, 2021, I am ‘fully vaxxed’ and have returned to meeting in person, for some of my students. However, the pandemic helped me discover that Zoom is an effective tool for tutoring — and it is a cost-saving one, as well, so my rates will be increasing slightly, as of August 1, 2021, for those who choose in-person tutoring. (See rate information below.)
When not meeting via Zoom, I typically meet with students at a variety of locations, including:
- at their homes.
- at their schools, during study-hall periods or after school.
- at coffee shops.
- at public libraries.
- at other neutral locations such as country clubs, restaurants, or parents’ workplaces.
What are your rates?
My current standard rate for tutoring is $75/hour if we meet via Zoom and $80/hour for in-person tutoring.
Reduced rates are available for students or families with whom I meet at least 3 or 4 hours per week (savings of $10 and $15 per hour, respectively).
In some cases, there are curriculum and materials expenses paid for by me, which are invoiced at cost for reimbursement.
Rates for editing work are typically lower and depend on the type and size of the project.
About:
After many years of tutoring students part-time, Audie Alcorn founded ATX Tutoring and began tutoring students full-time in June of 2017. Audie’s prior work experience includes 12 years of classroom experience, including as the middle school math teacher and a co-associate head of school at AESA Prep Academy in Austin, as the middle school math teacher at Progress School of Austin, as an upper elementary lead guide at Austin Montessori School, and as an Apollo 20 Math Fellow at Attucks Middle School in Houston. Audie also worked for a few years each in the publishing industry, including as a freelance editor, contributor, and ghostwriter; in the Department of Education and Interpretation at Zion National Park in Utah; and as an auditor for Price Waterhouse in Dallas.
Audie’s academic background includes 10 years of successful university experience, including earning 3 degrees — a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) from Southwestern University, a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) from the University of Arizona (summa cum laude), and a Master of Arts (Philosophy) from Texas Tech University (the latter two earned with 4.0 GPAs) — as well as studying as a Presidential Fellow in Philosophy at Rice University. Audie’s standardized test results include scoring in the 98th percentile on the SAT math section, the 97th percentile on the GRE verbal section, and the 97th percentile on the GRE analytical section.
Contact Audie for more information
