New Director/Owner – Durango Academic Coaching

Kristi previously owned and operated Animas Academics, a tutoring business that she started upon moving to Durango in 2009.  Her academic teaching experience started when she entered graduate school in 2003, right after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry.  Kristi knew immediately that teaching was a passion and pursued teaching and tutoring in various places and capacities once she finished her master’s degree.  Fast forward 19 years and Kristi has spent thousands of hours helping students, either in the classroom, outside, or one on one.  In 2020 she gave birth to identical twin boys who have been occupying most of her time lately.  Kristi is now reentering the local education scene with great enthusiasm!  Don’t hesitate to ask Kristi about any tutoring questions you may have, while keeping in mind that her areas’ of expertise are in science and math….

Former Owner – Durango Academic Coaching

If the art department and the science department had a little academic baby (figuratively, of course), it’d be me.  Studying sciences and learning to reason from first principles not only taught me how to think through complexity with clarity and communicate the minutiae of this process, but added to the mystery, awe, and excitement of the world.

I teach math, physics, chemistry, and biology students a framework for thinking through complex problems and try to make the content as relevant and applicable to the ‘real world’ as possible.  As a student that struggled for my first couple years of university, I know frustration and defeat, as well as mastery.  I believe this enriches my ability to connect with students; I am able to teach from a place of empathy, while giving constructive support.  I want the students we work with to be seen and heard in a way that is not always provided in a classroom

Our teaching style is intuitive and personable, while using strategic dialogue to search for gaps in knowledge, appropriate application of skills, and tactics for reasoning through problems.  Our ethos and approach holds a line that is student-centered and supportive with a cut-and-dry standard of putting in hard work.

Isaac is the new owner of DACC and purchased from Sarah Tescher who owned the center for 3.5 years.  The idea of creating a tutoring center came up in a breakfast conversation with Yvonna Graham (owner of Mumbling Marmot) who has been Sarah’s mentor and consultant in starting Durango Academic Coaching (DACC). DACC serves La Plata County and offers tutoring for all subject areas from 1st grade reading help to College level Math classes. DACC has many tutors from Master’s degree in Education to High School Students eager to share their favorite subject. All DACC tutors have had background and education checks and are professional and reliable. DACC believes that each student can reach their academic goals, be that higher ACT scores or learning a second language. Each student learns his or her own unique way and DACC tutors are committed to discover how a student best learns and support that learning style in one-on-one or a small group setting.