Serves students in Medicine Hat through scheduled in-person tutoring at agreed local locations and through online tutoring; no public walk-in tutoring centre is listed. The Root & Radius is an independent STEM tutoring service operated by Derek Ballinger. It works primarily with middle-school and high-school students, college students and occasional adult learners, focusing on Math, Chemistry and Physics. Current Root & Radius information explicitly lists Alberta Math 10C, Math 20-1, Math 20-2, Math 30-1 and Math 30-2, along with math from pre-algebra through beginning calculus. Science support includes Science 10, Chemistry 20 and 30, and Physics 20 and 30. Derek currently advertises preparation for the Grade 9 PAT, Alberta Diploma Exams, SAT and PSAT. In-person sessions take place at agreed Medicine Hat locations such as a public library, the student's school or another public meeting place, and virtual sessions run over Zoom with screen sharing, shared annotation, a document camera and tools such as Desmos and PhET. Root & Radius currently offers the first tutoring session free so the student and tutor can determine whether the fit is right. This is a tutoring session, not a separate academic assessment. Regular in-person Medicine Hat sessions are currently CA$120/hour, with separate virtual, monthly-plan and July–August summer rates (see Pricing). Tutoring is scheduled directly with the tutor rather than offered during fixed walk-in hours. Availability depends on the student's needs and Derek's current schedule.
Teaching approach: Derek's stated approach focuses on breaking complex STEM concepts into manageable steps and adapting explanations to the learner. Sessions emphasize understanding and problem solving rather than simply memorizing procedures, linking new ideas to what the student already knows, with visual and interactive tools used for online math and science.
1. A student or parent contacts Derek with the subject, course and current difficulty. 2. A free first session is scheduled to see whether the tutoring relationship is a good fit. 3. Medicine Hat students can meet in person at an agreed local location, and students can also meet virtually. 4. Each session is tailored to the student's immediate needs. 5. Sessions may cover homework, difficult concepts, exam preparation or ongoing course support. 6. Derek uses conversation and step-by-step problem solving to emphasize understanding rather than memorizing procedures. 7. Students needing recurring help can reserve a weekly or twice-weekly time through a monthly learning plan.
Regular one-time sessions: in-person Medicine Hat CA$120/hour; virtual Canada CA$100/hour; virtual U.S./global US$75/hour. Monthly learning plans (reserved weekly slot, minimum 8 sessions, typically about 2 months; not offered July–August): in-person Medicine Hat CA$400/month once weekly or CA$720/month twice weekly; virtual Canada CA$320 or CA$580/month; virtual U.S./global US$240 or US$440/month. Summer rates (July–August): in-person Medicine Hat CA$100/hour; virtual Canada CA$80/hour; virtual U.S./global US$60/hour. The first tutoring session is free. Rates were reviewed October 6, 2026 and can change.
Prices change. Always confirm current rates directly with the provider.
The Root & Radius is operated by Derek Ballinger, a teacher and tutor with more than 15 years of math/science education experience. His current biography lists a B.S. in Environmental Engineering (Gonzaga University), a Master in Teaching (Seattle University) and teaching certification in Alberta and Washington State, more than 10 years of teaching in public and private schools and abroad, and full-time tutoring since 2019.
Serves students in Medicine Hat; no public walk-in location.
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Accelerated Potential Academy provides in-person services in Medicine Hat along with online tutoring, offering math tutoring, academic assessment and intervention for students from early childhood through high school.
2000 Division Ave N
Class-based abacus and mental-math enrichment for ages 5–13 at the Big Marble Go Centre in Medicine Hat, with one two-hour class per week and a free trial session.
Help us keep this profile accurate.
