Helping students turn physics confusion into confidence.

For more than twenty years, Aaron Podolner has stood at the intersection of science, education, and humanity — teaching high school physics from foundational concepts through Advanced Placement, mentoring fellow teachers, and writing about the parts of the job that rarely make it into a curriculum guide: race, belief, classroom relationships, and what it means to really show up for students.

His students consistently achieve a 98% pass rate on AP exams. But the numbers, he'll tell you, aren't the point. The point is what happens before the exam — when a student who insisted they weren't a science person suddenly draws a free-body diagram and laughs because it works.

Aaron founded Mr. Podo Physics Tutoring to bring that same approach to students one-on-one. Clear, structured explanations. Real-world problem solving. The unshakable belief that if a student feels seen, the science gets easier.

Great teaching begins when students feel seen — and ends when they feel capable. — Aaron Podolner

Outside the classroom, Aaron is the author of four books exploring the human side of teaching. He appeared in Steve James's acclaimed docuseries America to Me, which sparked national conversation about race and public education, and his work has been recognized with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Education and the Voya Unsung Heroes Award.