Alexandra Cohen-Spiegler has been working as a private tutor for over 20 years. A native New Yorker, Alix attended high school at Trinity School and was at the United Nations International School through eighth grade. Coming from a New York City preparatory school background herself, she perfectly understands the demands made on her students. An actress, she majored in French and Theater at Pomona College, where she received a BA and graduated Cum Laude, with special honors on her French thesis, which she wrote on Proust’s A la recherche du temps perdu. While in college, Alix spent a year in Paris, studying at the Institut Catholique (French literature) and the Ecole Jacques Lecoq (theater). She also has studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory (New York) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (London).

Alix’s clients have ranged in age from 3 to 65-years-old. She is fluent in French and also excels at teaching English, acting, math through pre-calculus, and standardized test preparation, including the ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, ACT, and SAT. Alix frequently focuses on “filling in the gaps” in her students’ math knowledge, especially for anyone who attended “Zoom school” during lockdown; she makes sure all her students have strong foundations so they don’t get stuck remembering, for instance, how to work with negative numbers when approaching advanced algebra. She makes a point of bringing in outside resources, including games and online work, to keep lessons fun and engaging for her students, no matter their age and level. She helps students raise their confidence and ensures they have tools available to problem-solve so they never feel overly reliant on tutoring.

Having lived abroad, Alix also teaches English-as-a-second (or third or fourth!) language. Creating lesson plans that are tailor-made to her clients, Alix is able to use her varied subject knowledge and students’ unique interests to keep lessons exciting, focusing on reading (at whatever level is appropriate), playing games (including some acting improvisational games) and talking about the student’s native culture as well as American culture. Alix also brings math into her ESL lessons, to remind students that math changes very little across languages and countries and to bring up their confidence levels. She shares family stories and personal anecdotes to help make various points.

A working actress, Alix specializes in Shakespeare, audiobooks, and in developing new work. She played the role of Cordelia in a feature film of King Lear. She studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and movement-based theater at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France, as well as more traditionally American-based methods at the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York. She combines all three of these methods in her own performances, as well as in her lessons. She focuses primarily on imagination and improvisation-based exercises. She also does monologue coaching, including Shakespearean and contemporary works. She teaches students how to break down a script and create a character from what the playwright has written and then works on bringing that character to three-dimensional life.

Alix also speaks at colleges across the country on topics ranging from Alcohol Education to Personal Development and Leadership. She brings these lessons into her work with private students of all ages as well, helping them tap into their “why” when needing a boost of confidence or a reminder of why they’re working on whatever challenging task is before them. It also influences her work with Executive Function Coaching.

Alix now lives in Queens with her husband and toddler son. An avid reader, she also records audiobooks and loves recommending books to students across all levels.