My name is John Benner, and I am an experienced chemist, science teacher, and tutor.

I earned my BA in chemistry from DePauw University and my MA, also in chemistry, from the University of Texas at Austin. After working several years as a lab chemist for the Texas Department of Health, I edited science textbooks for Harcourt Publishing. My favorite role there was as chief editor for Harcourt’s Modern Chemistry.

After a detour into software development for the University of Texas System, I earned a teaching certificate and taught high school chemistry. In the classroom I learned that the best part of teaching, for me, is seeing students’ faces light up when they finally “get it.” I like facilitating the shift from frustration to confidence. And there’s no better way to do that than one-on-one or in small groups, preferably over a cup of coffee.