Meet the teacher
Valeria Portugal, M.Ed.
Founder + Educator
I am an educator who is dedicated to making an impact on the lives of students through individualized attention, targeted instruction, and uniquely tailored curriculum.
I discovered my love for education as an undergraduate student at Brown University, where I tutored students at a local elementary school over four years. The curiosity, joy, and humor of my students was both captivating and inspiring, and I fell in love with teaching. After beginning my career in management consulting in Manhattan, I decided to pursue my true passion full-time: cultivating curiosity and a love of learning in children. I changed careers, started teaching, and earned an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Manhattanville College.
Having now taught at respected independent schools, such as Greenwich Academy on the east coast and Trinity Episcopal School here in Austin, with over ten years of combined tutoring and classroom experience, I am dedicating myself to private one-on-one and small-group instruction.
I am passionate about creating a learning space that is inviting and encouraging for all learners. My student-centered approach encourages children to take ownership over their own learning, as they actively collaborate in setting goals for themselves that are rooted in data-based assessment. Through my work, I target strengths and stretches for each student, as well as extend and enrich students through hands-on, immersive curriculum. I strive to develop the whole child and emphasize social-emotional learning in my practice.
I look forward to meeting you and helping your child thrive.
“Valeria has been an amazing tutor for my daughter. My daughter received A's in her Math and Spanish classes this past year thanks to her. She is patient and kind and extremely thorough. She does a great job at making sure the concept is understood before moving forward. We've had many tutors but Valeria is by far the best! I am so thankful that we finally found her!”
— Alison R., Zilker, 8th-grade parent
“Valeria has been instrumental in improving our daughter’s math skills. We have seen a big improvement in both her confidence and her results. Valeria does all this while keeping it fun and engaging for our daughter, who looks forward to class each week.”
— Nancy S., West Lake Hills, 2nd-grade parent
