Est. 2002 · Physics · Math · Tutoring · Reflection
Helping students turn physics and math confusion into confidence.
I'm Aaron Podolner — a physics and math educator, tutor, and author based in La Grange, Illinois. For more than two decades I've helped students see that the laws of motion, energy, and force — and the algebra and trig underneath them — aren't a wall to scale, but a language they can learn to speak.
A teacher who never stopped being a student.
Two decades in the classroom. A career at the intersection of science, equity, and curiosity.
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 an 80% 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.
Mr. Podo Physics Tutoring.
For high school and early college physics, plus math from algebra through pre-calculus — Chicago suburbs and online anywhere.
Physics, taught the way it should have been taught the first time.
Most students don't struggle with physics because they're not capable. They struggle because the explanation never quite landed, the notation looked like a foreign language, or the teacher moved on before the idea took root. Tutoring with Mr. Podo is built around fixing that — slowly, patiently, and with no judgment about where a student is starting.
The same goes for the math underneath it. Alongside physics, I tutor algebra, geometry, algebra 2, trigonometry, and pre-calculus — whether a student is in one of those courses right now or needs the algebra and trig to stop getting in the way of the physics.
Serving La Grange, La Grange Park, Western Springs, Brookfield, Riverside, Oak Park, Hinsdale, the rest of the Chicago suburbs, and online students anywhere in the U.S.
- Step-by-step explanations that prioritize understanding over memorization
- AP Physics 1, AP Physics C, and honors-track preparation
- Math from algebra through pre-calculus, including geometry and trig
- Test prep with real reasoning, not template-matching
- Online sessions for students anywhere in the U.S.
- In-person sessions across the western Chicago suburbs
Mistake Master.
Free AP and SAT practice built around the mistakes students actually make.
The same diagnosis a tutoring session starts with — turned into practice.
A wrong answer is rarely random. It usually points at one specific idea a student has upside down. Mistake Master is Aaron's free practice site built on that premise: when a student misses a question, it names the misconception behind the miss and serves practice aimed at that idea until it clears.
Courses span AP Physics 1, 2, and C, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Precalculus, AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics, and SAT Math. Teachers can set up a class with coded rosters and watch which misconceptions are clearing on a dashboard.
- Free to use — no account, no email
- Every wrong answer tied to a named misconception
- Two correct in a row clears a misconception
- Arcade mode for students who would rather drill than read
- Teacher dashboards with coded rosters, no student names
Published works.
For teachers, students, and anyone who has wondered if they were doing it right.
Awards & press.
A selected record from the field, the press, and the people who graded my work.
Honors
- ★ Golden Apple Award for Excellence in EducationNational College of Education
- ★ Voya Unsung Heroes AwardFor innovative classroom programs
In the Press
- 2018 The Hollywood ReporterOn portrayal in Steve James's America to Me
- 2018 IMDB NewsInterview coverage on America to Me
- 2013 Chicago TribuneChallenging colleagues to question themselves
- 2005 OakPark.comLinking physics and sports studies
Get in touch.
Students, parents, educators, journalists — I'd love to hear from you.
For tutoring inquiries — availability, rates, or booking a first session — email MrPodoPhysicsTutoring@gmail.com. For interviews, speaking, or other professional questions, reach out via LinkedIn or YouTube — I check both regularly.