Below are unedited reviews from previous students and parents I’ve worked with. I’m not adding these to brag, but more to give you an idea of what others have experienced.
If you’d like more, here is a link to my RateMyProfessor page (highest rated at CU!). Here is a link to my page on a site that does data visualizations for internal CU professor evaluations (although it looks like they’ve stopped updating the site). And here is a link to the University of Colorado’s FCQ database. If you search “Ostro, Christopher” here you can get the raw data from every semester I’ve ever taught at CU.
If you’d like to have your review posted on the site, please email me and I’ll get it posted immediately.
When I had my first tutoring session with Chris Ostro, I had no idea the influence and the amount of help I was going to get from him in all areas. I first signed up with him to work on Latin and within a few months he grew from my Latin tutor to a trusted adult who helped me with anything I needed help him. I have had a long, frustrating ride with tutors and school, but I can say that there were nights where I honestly looked forward to a tutoring session with Chris. He started to help me in my sophomore year in high school and is still helping me now in my freshmen year of college, even though he’s a few hundred miles away. He helped me with my ACT, math class, writing, and everything in between. I can not suggest or think of any tutor that has worked as hard as Chris or who goes out of their way to help anyone (especially a student that is in need of help). Without his help I certainly would not be where I am today or feel as comfortable going into my freshmen year. Chris can and will help you with anything you need. He, in my eyes, is one of the best all around teachers and people I have met in my life. You will be glad you signed up with him. -Carter, Latin/ACT/Writing/CollegePrep
Chris is not only an extremely capable tutor, but equally a great mentor to young kids. He is still young enough to relate to their challenges, their world and the resulting emotional roller coaster. His intelligence, rapport and ability to teach are all magnified and made most useful because he truly cares about the kids with whom he works. Perhaps that is why, in the process of helping the kids academically, he also brings them along personally. With our son, Chris was confronted with a tough and somewhat dry subject matter — Latin and ACT Preparation. He figured out his interests, attention span and learning style and tailored their sessions to get the most out of the time involved. He was also able to establish motivation and focus for him to get his homework done between sessions. This is not always easy with a teenager. From my experience with Chris over the years, I think any student who is engaged and willing to learn, will benefit tremendously in all aspects of life through working with Chris. Chris has, without hesitation, my highest recommendation. -Fred (Parent), Latin/ACT/Writing/CollegePrep
Chris Ostro tutored with our son Sophomore thru Senior year of high school along with ACT/SAT Prep & College application prep and editing. He was accepted to 7 of the 8 schools he applied to. Chris is exceptional in working with students with learning disabilities he is caring & motivating and has great insight when working with teens. I highly recommend Chris! -Susan (Parent), Latin/ACT/Writing/CollegePrep
Chris has the remarkable ability to get his students excited about the information being taught. His class was one of the only times I was ever excited to go home and do my reading homework and I had no prior interest in Greek literature. The enthusiasm he brings into the classroom is contagious and makes for an amazing learning environment. -Steve, Writing/Classics
I had Chris Ostro as a professor for my First Year Writing and Rhetoric class, at CU Boulder. As a professor, Chris was very approachable and always willing to assist or even just chat. Within his classroom it didn’t feel like a detached lecture, he was very involved, encouraged discussion, and actually made the genuine effort to know his students and work with you one on one when necessary. He is laid back and fun in class, but also knows how to get things done and expects good work from his students. The work load in the class was always very manageable and spaced out in a way that’s easy keep up with. When it came to assignments and tests, he would assign a paper that focused on what we needed to learn. Each paper had a different topic or element of writing to focus on, and then as the semester progressed the elements used in the beginning were applied to later papers as well. Most times with each paper assignment, there was a short reading that would assist in understanding the assignment and then in class he would go over what he wanted in the paper and how to go about it. When it came to grading, Chris made his expectations very clear and offered complements and constructive criticism to each student. In the event that you didn’t you didn’t like the grade you received, he offered the choice to do rewrites and work with him one on one for the chance to raise the grade. Overall Chris is a great professor to have, his writing course was one I always looked forward to attending and I would recommend him to any student. -Maggie, Writing
Chris was great as a classics teacher. His passion for what he does combined with his knowledge of the field led to a very enjoyable experience for the students, most of whom were non-majors. He works hard for his students, and I’m glad I was lucky enough to take his class. -Colin, Writing/Classics
I have known Chris over the past 2 years and have had him as a professor for an undergraduate, freshmen-orientated writing class called “Argument from Evidence”. This was through the classics department and focused on ancient texts for developing & writing arguments. Having signed up for a writing class late in the game, this was the only option left. Immediately I was skeptical and worried. I was oh-so-wrong. Chris approached a very dry and immense course in a way that made it fascinating and desirable to learn the material. He taught classes in a very conversational manner, making it only natural to participate in class discussions. In addition, he went above and beyond to make himself available to students outside of both regular class times, AND designated office hours. Finally, Chris was always honest and direct; yet was invested and sincerely wanted to see you succeed. This relationship between college professor & student is a rarity. I would go out of my way to recommend Chris to other students. -Matt, Writing/Classics
Latin 1 and Latin 3 – Both highly informative and highly entertaining. His classes were just plain fun, and that helps keep motivation and interest. Explanations for the material were well described. -Rhiana, Latin
I originally thought this was going to be “just another” writing class that I was required to take. Christopher’s class turned out to be an intellectually engaging course that really interested and challenged me. I finished the class a more thoughtful and advanced writer. -Curtis, Writing
In all of my college career I have never had a teacher who was more invested in the futures of his students than Chris. I came out of his class feeling as though I had learned not only about Latin, but also about life in general. Definitely worth taking his class! -Graham, Latin
Chris was a charismatic teacher, who always brought with him a positive energy and a genuine enthusiasm to enrich the lives of his students. He went above and beyond what was expected of him, and made class a fun and engaging place to be. -Alexis, Writing/Classics