Meet Christopher Ostro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Ostro.

Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Chris Ostro Tutoring is what it sounds like: a one-man operation where I work with students in the Denver area to help them identify issues, set goals and build a path to those goals. While there’s no shortage of incredibly capable tutors in the Denver area, many of whom I regularly work with, one of the things that has helped me succeed in this business is my background as an educator in other contexts. Aside from tutoring, I also work at a university writing center, teach at the university level, have taught at the high-school level, and even help new teachers design their first courses. Being well-rounded as an educator has enabled me to help a wide variety of students.

More than the training though, I tutor because I want to help people. Growing up with ADHD, I was that kid that got sent out in the halls every day and got in trouble regularly in middle school. In high school, I had a teacher who really cared about mentoring me and cared about the potential he saw in me. He didn’t need to do that; he didn’t get paid extra to let a kid hang out in his classroom until 4PM… but he did it, and I’m thankful he did. I grew up in an economic position that made it essentially impossible for me to afford a tutor, but I would’ve benefited a lot from having one. This is true for a lot of students, and I want to help mentor those students. Every time I help a student get ahead and reach for that next rung, it’s a victory for me as well as the student.

The first time I stepped into a classroom as something other than a student, it was exhilarating and I knew it was exactly where I wanted to be. I was 17 and my high school had a program where seniors in Advanced Placement Calculus could volunteer as tutors for some of the freshmen level math courses. I loved it and found, surprisingly, that this was the highlight of my senior year.

In 2005, I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In college, my academic interests changed immensely (I entered as a math major and left with a triple major in Classical Studies, History, and Comparative Literature), but my passion for education hadn’t diminished. I often tutored local HS students in ACT/SAT and college readiness. I also regularly worked with the younger students in my departments, especially on Latin and Greek. Not only was this a good way for a broke college kid to make some money, but it also helped me grow as an educator.

In 2010, I moved to colorful Colorado for graduate school at CU Boulder, and shortly after this is when I officially began teaching. During my first year, I worked with a professor who cared a lot about teaching and would encourage me observe classes, take notes, and learn by watching. The following year I taught my own Latin courses for the first time, and a year later I had designed and taught my first writing course for the department.

In this same period, I was growing a lot as a tutor as well. I had started working with the athletic center on campus to help tutor student-athletes, mostly because it was a way for me to meet new types of students and to help another extremely vulnerable population on campus. In addition, I’d started working with a major tutoring company in the area, which made me more knowledgeable about standardized tests. This sort of tutoring can cost hundreds of dollars an hour, so being trained in it has went a long way in my desire to help students from lower-income households get a leg up. I also began tutoring Latin, Greek, and college prep in my spare time, as well as some simple editing.

After I left graduate school, I never stopped teaching. I’ve continued to teach a variety of courses for CU’s Program for Writing and Rhetoric, as well as spending a year teaching at the high school level at a school in southern Denver. But beyond my teaching, my tutoring has grown in leaps and bounds. I work as a writing center consultant for a few different colleges, which has broadened my experience to a variety of student backgrounds. Furthermore, this has made me much more competent with other types of editing. In addition, I’ve had years of test prep experience now and even had one student pull a seven-point swing on the ACT (though my average student improves by closer to three points). Still, a difference of three points can mean not only getting into that dream school but also getting thousands of dollars to that school; this is what I got into tutoring to do.

So where does that leave me and my tutoring now? As someone who grew up in a lower economic region of Michigan, I find it extremely rewarding to help economically vulnerable students get ahead and have priced my tutoring accordingly. Charging less enables me to work with students for longer, and I love the relationships that can come from this. I’ve worked with some students as long as six years, and I enjoy the mentorship inherent in that. My services include test (ACT/SAT/GRE) prep, paper editing, college admissions help, editing (of all levels), and Latin/Greek as well.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been challenges. As with any small business, outreach is often a struggle. It’s hard to get the word out and make sure students and parents know you’re available. Having a website has helped, as has working with other tutors, but most of my business still comes from word of mouth.

Also, I got into tutoring because I really want to help students who need it. That means that sometimes I’ll stretch myself too thin, either taking on students I don’t have time for or tutoring students in a subject I need to put more time into prepping. Inevitably, there are also moments where a student needs help that I simply can’t provide. In those moments, it’s good to have a referral list of other tutors with other specialties that I trust that I can refer students to.

Chris Ostro Tutoring – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
While bigger companies often tend to charge hundreds of dollars an hour for some tutoring, I like charging less and getting to work with students who often don’t get professional help. As a kid who grew up poor, I enjoy being able to help economically vulnerable students get ahead. This also usually enables me to work with students for longer, and I love the relationships that can come from this. I’ve worked with some students as long as six years, and I enjoy the mentorship inherent in that. My services include test (ACT/SAT/GRE) prep, paper editing, college admissions help, editing (of all levels), and Latin/Greek as well.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In 2013, I started working on Latin with a student who had a lot of potentials but had issues with ADHD and dyslexia. Over the course of a few months, we were able to not only get him caught up in the class, but we had set up some study habits and techniques that helped him in other courses as well. After the Latin course ended, I stayed with this student tutoring him in English, History, ACT/SAT prep, and eventually college prep. He had a SEVEN point swing on the ACT, which is huge, but more importantly in 2016 this student, who used to struggle with self-esteem issues, was able to proudly tell his parents that he’d gotten into all six of the schools he applied to. Watching a student get over hills like this… that’s why I started doing this in the first place.

Pricing:

• Latin/Greek Tutoring – $45/hr
• Test Prep/College Readiness Tutoring – $60/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chrisostro.com
• Phone: 303.525.5324
• Email: tutor@chrisostro.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisOstroTutoring/

Image Credit:
Photos taken/edited by Colleen Dolan

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