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Experienced, energetic, empathetic chemistry educator.
Alan R.

797 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Hourly Rate: $85
Response time: 21 minutes
Alan R.'s Photo

Experienced, energetic, empathetic chemistry educator.
Experienced, energetic, empathetic chemistry educator.
Alan R.

797 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

797 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Alan


Bio

Hello. My name is Alan. I am an experienced chemistry educator. My total commitment to student-centered learning is coupled with my deep knowledge of the best organic chemistry resources which I supplement with individualized lessons to maximize student growth. None of my students has ever failed organic chemistry. I know your organic chemistry class is an abstract maze of symbols, arrows, and shapes, all laced with short hand abbreviations, bizarre names, and confusing words. I will show...

Hello. My name is Alan. I am an experienced chemistry educator. My total commitment to student-centered learning is coupled with my deep knowledge of the best organic chemistry resources which I supplement with individualized lessons to maximize student growth. None of my students has ever failed organic chemistry. I know your organic chemistry class is an abstract maze of symbols, arrows, and shapes, all laced with short hand abbreviations, bizarre names, and confusing words. I will show you how to decipher this rich subject and attain a high-grade worthy understanding of organic structures, properties, reactivity, synthesis, and more.
I understand the many different modes of learning and will tailor our lessons to your style and needs. As examples, I utilize molecular models for kinesthetic learners and drawing tools for visual learners to help us “see” molecular shapes because visualizing and manipulating molecules in 3D space is a vital skill in o-chem. The secret to learning “orgo” is to recognize that it is an organized language. You cannot memorize all this material. You need to be organized in your studying and approach it as a foreign language. Yes, some memorization is required, but the vast landscape of o-chem can be understood if you recognize foundational concepts, identify themes and patterns, learn how to appropriately apply some simple models and rules to new situations and frequently test your understanding.
My method and goals are to: First, identify and articulate the problem, question, or challenge you face; Second, illuminate those basic principles that best apply to the problem; Third, guide you at every level to the confident independence you need to devise testable solutions on your own. Individualizing our lessons with personalized worksheets, focused exercises, and probing questions, so that our sessions are organized and connect to each other, organic chemistry will come alive and make rewarding sense to you. Thanks for reading. I look forward to working with you.


Education

Earlham College
Chemistry
Brandeis University
PhD
Yale University/Postdoctoral Fellowship
Graduate Coursework

Policies


Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Science

Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

I am a retired professor of organic chemistry and a former department chair. I have worked for over 35 years successfully teaching, mentoring, and tutoring college students in the classroom, seminar, laboratory, recitations, and innumerable one-on-one sessions. I know organic chemistry is hard but I also know that it is learnable. For me, the keys to effective teaching are organizing and presenting selected subjects in intellectually digestible pieces, listening actively to my students, consistently paying close attention to the learner’s perspective, and maintaining consistent optimism. I have found that the best teaching also involves carefully and transparently modeling exactly how I, as a practitioner and an expert, approach a problem. Organic chemistry is a cohesive science of interrelated parts. Structure is connected to function and function to reactivity. The key is using what you know to address a new question. When tackling problems, I ask my students to tell me where they think they are stuck, to identify what they think they need to know and to explain their approach. With the weak links to understanding identified, we work together to construct and test possible answers and explanations. In this participatory way I have educated, helped, and most importantly empowered more than 5,000 college and high school students. Over the years I have developed many problem-solving aides, hints, cues, clues, and mnemonics. As one example, if you do not have a tetrahedral model, look at your wrist and place your thumb, index, and pointer fingers equally spread apart on a table. The shape you have created is a tetrahedron. Now you can look at it and use it as you would a model. I will energetically work with you to uncover the mysteries and intricacies of organic chemistry.

Examples of Expertise


Alan has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 2 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

Ratings and Reviews


Rating

5.0 (236 ratings)
5 star
(233)
4 star
(1)
3 star
(2)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

flexible passionate, and expert Tutor

I have had the pleasure of attending multiple organic chemistry tutoring sessions with Alan, and I must say, the experience has been nothing short of remarkable. From the onset, it was evident that Alan possesses an exceptional teaching ability, coupled with a profound understanding of organic chemistry that is both deep and wide-ranging. Each session was meticulously planned and tailored to address my specific areas of difficulty, making the complex and often daunting concepts of organic chemistry much more accessible and understandable. Alan employs a variety of teaching methods, including visual aids, practical examples, and interactive problem-solving, which greatly enhanced my learning experience. His ability to break down complicated topics into manageable, bite-sized pieces is truly commendable. Thanks to Alan's guidance, I have seen significant improvement in my grades and, more importantly, my understanding of organic chemistry. His patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm for the subject matter have not only boosted my confidence but have also ignited a genuine interest in organic chemistry that I didn't know I had. Moreover, Alan has been incredibly flexible and accommodating with scheduling sessions, always going the extra mile to ensure that I get the help I need, when I need it. His dedication to my success is evident in the great results I have achieved under his tutelage. In summary, Alan is an outstanding organic chemistry tutor whose expertise and teaching prowess have had a profound impact on my academic performance. I highly recommend Alan to anyone looking for comprehensive, effective, and genuinely enjoyable organic chemistry tutoring.

David , 10 lessons with Alan

Excellent tutor!

Alan is a great and knowledgeable organic chemistry tutor. He helped me understand everything from the basics to complex problems. He not only teaches problems but also provides practical applications with his easy-to-understand teaching style. I would highly recommend take Alan for organic chemistry tutoring for anyone who struggling and needs help! I enjoyed learning organic chemistry, even though it was one of the hardest courses I took.

Ayaka, 17 lessons with Alan

Kind, Thorough, and Passionate Tutor! Highly Recommend

I sought help in Organic II as I was struggling and needed at least a C in order to graduate from my program (it was my last semester) but was a little hesitant to seek out tutoring as I had never gotten services from Wyzant before. When I first reached out to Alan i described my situation in the class, and expressed my concerns about being a little nervous about tutoring for both the financial reasons as well as not having experience with being tutored in a professional sense before. Alan was very kind and replied in a timely manner, addressing my concerns and assuring me we could work on the material and that I could get through the class. Alan worked with me on practice quizzes and test provided by my teacher and always stressed the fundamentals that I was lacking on. He provided good reference material to better help me understand fundamentals that helped me reason through the problems. I really enjoyed that Alan was always polite, courteous, and understanding to any concerns I had. There were multiple occasions where Alan worked longer than the allotted time to make sure I understood material before a test or quiz, and even would mention fun facts about molecules or reagents that not only helped me remember them but were also interesting! On several occasions I reached out about general questions about Ochem Lab and Alan was happy to help! With Alans help my test average went from a 60 (after being curved) to 80's (after curve) and the mistakes I made were typically careless mistakes that once I saw the problem when test were handed back I immediately knew where I had messed up. I looked forward to sessions with Alan, and would highly recommend him for his professional demeanor and knowledge on the subject which helped me succeed in my final semester of undergrad! Thank you so much!

Grant, 10 lessons with Alan

This tutor saved my grade in organic chemistry 1

Before going to this tutor I was genuinely debating whether I should drop the class. I had failed my last test and my grade was pretty low. My professor for the class was not doing very well in preparing anyone for the tests so I was basically trying to teach myself. Fast foward a couple weeks and I start my tutoring with Alan and it completely turned my graded around. I went from failing to having a B in the class and I a pretty confident in my abilities in organic chemistry now. To make a long story short if your struggling with organic chemistry I highly recommend to take Alan for tutoring. He will help you save your grade.

Ethan, 7 lessons with Alan

Clear and very knowledgeable!

Alan has been a great Organic Chemistry tutor thus far- with his vast knowledge in the subject, he is able to convey difficult topics to students very clearly in order to enhance their understanding of the material. He utilizes visual aids, analogies, rules, definitions and more to both familiarize students and teach. Alan's mastery of the topic is obvious, as he is able to immediately explain a given question that a student may find themselves perplexed by. I would highly recommend Alan if you are looking for an Organic Chemistry tutor!

Kathryn, 13 lessons with Alan

One of the best teacher's I've ever had

Alan is one of the best teachers in Organic Chemistry I've ever had. His method of teaching is simple yet extremely effective, and for the first time I actually found myself enjoying to learn the subject. I highly recommend him to anyone who is even partlyy struggling with Organic Chemistry.

Salim, 9 lessons with Alan

Excellent Professor

Mr Alan was very committed to help my daughter learn, understand showing some techniques which helped her greatly. He was quite prompt in responding to my emails, his availability was quite timely and accommodating. He asked to send the topic first thereby he was fully prepared to tutor my daughter. We thank and appreciate Mr Alan for his help and commitment. He’s highly recommended.

Zafar, 4 lessons with Alan

Very effective teacher

Organic Chemistry was a subject that I struggled with a lot prior, but he was able to guide me through problems and figure out any mistakes that I was making and rectify them.

Hamza, 22 lessons with Alan

Exceptional Organic Chemistry Tutor

Alan possesses a combination of patience, kindness, and expertise that distinguishes him. Despite the inherent challenges of Orgo, Alan made the lessons comprehensible. What sets him apart is his teaching approach — he ensures that the foundations of Orgo are solidified in your understanding of each problem. Alan's provision of effective shortcuts and explanations cuts through the complexity of the subject without sacrificing depth, simplifying complex concepts. Throughout our sessions, Alan never wasted a moment of time, offering concise, insightful feedback and practical advice in response to challenging questions. I am proud to share that, under Alan's guidance, I achieved a final grade of A in my Orgo I class. For anyone seeking a tutor who can truly make a difference, I wholeheartedly recommend Alan.

Meera, 22 lessons with Alan

Kind and Considerate tutor to help you achieve your Organic Chemistry goals

Alan is a very kind and enthusiastic tutor who helps you build confidence and understanding of Organic Chemistry. As you go through a problem with him, he explains the material very thoroughly and breaks it down in a way that helps you to understand. He is a tutor that allows you to think for yourself and build connections that make the material stick. I have benefitted a lot from his teachings and have done much better in my Organic Chemistry course. I recommend his tutoring to anyone in Organic Chemistry I or II!

Chimere, 38 lessons with Alan
Hourly Rate: $85
Response time: 21 minutes
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