John

Certified Tutor

Hello! I am freshly graduated from the University of Georgia and very excited that I can continue to work in the academic world. In my 16 years of schooling in Atlanta and Athens, I have come to feel that the structure of our educational system, while undoubtedly helpful to many students, often leaves much to be desired.

In classrooms packed with dozens of students, teachers often cannot devote the necessary time to individual students to help them with the particular questions and problems they encounter in their studies. Students also cannot help but compare themselves with their peers around them, and often become discouraged when they cannot seem to understand what so many people around them appear to grasp in an instant.

This problem of student discouragement is a serious one, because learning starts with motivation; students will not be motivated to learn in an environment where they feel overwhelmed, scared, or unintelligent.

That's where tutoring comes in. I've found that the best way for anyone to learn is by meeting with a teacher one-on-one. I was fortunate enough to study for three months in Oxford, England in 2010, and during those three months I learned more than I ever have at any other time. More importantly, I was energized and excited by my experience, and my self-confidence rose tremendously.

The secret was the format of the education in Oxford. There, professors meet with their students one-on-one, and thus the students receive a uniquely personal education, tailored specifically to their particular needs. There were no massive classrooms full of forty or fifty kids who all have different educational needs; there was no comparing yourself to your peers; there was no discouragement when a teacher was not available to meet.

No - the personalized education I received at Oxford boiled down to only two elements: my own desire to learn, and my professor's desire to teach me. Both are essential elements to any teacher-student relationship.

For my own part, I am passionate about my subject areas in particular, and education in general, and am eager to take on new students who want to learn. I am a relaxed, happy person who will put students at ease, but I also have lots of energy that will kick-start students into getting excited about their subjects. I read and write every day, and am preparing a collection of my short stories for publication. I also write and perform for a comedy group in Athens, and play in a rock and roll band called Ghost Lights. I like to have fun, but I also recognize that discipline and hard work are essential to personal well-being, especially in school.

Knowledge is power, and indeed, as Benjamin Franklin said, "Knowledge pays the best interest."