Jamal
Certified Tutor
Born into a family of editors, a love of etymology and grammar was instilled (okay, hammered) into my mind at an early age. Any questions brought up at the dinner table led directly to a reference book. Wondering where your meal came from? Pick up the Oxford Companion to Food. Any question about word origins? Grab your magnifying glass, and pour over the dictionary. This type of curiosity has followed me into adulthood. I'm a full-blown Wikipedian.
My rsum goes beyond tutoring. From grant proposals to album reviews, I've been published across disciplines. I've spent two years writing and editing for literary magazines. I've hosted a radio show focusing on philosophy and hip-hop. I've studied in Richmond, Pittsburgh, Salamanca, and Valparaiso.
I believe tutoring happens on a case-by-case basis. I personalize each lesson, so whether your child learns through close-reading and marginalia, or through pneumonic devices and word games, we will find a way to a lesson that sticks. Let's learn together!
Connect with a tutor like Jamal
Undergraduate Degree: Virginia Commonwealth University - Bachelors, English
Competitive Scrabble Player, Radio DJ, Avid Reader, Foodie, Traveling, Hiking, Philosophy, Ludology, World Politics
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 1st Grade
- 1st Grade Math
- 1st Grade Reading
- 1st Grade Writing
- 2nd Grade
- 2nd Grade Math
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 2nd Grade Writing
- 3rd Grade
- 3rd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Reading
- 3rd Grade Science
- 3rd Grade Writing
- 4th Grade
- 4th Grade Math
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Science
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade Reading
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- Adult Literacy
- American Literature
- British Literature
- College English
- College Essays
- College Level American Literature
- Comparative Literature
- Creative Writing
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Science
- Elementary School Writing
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Fiction Writing
- High School English
- High School Level American Literature
- High School Writing
- Literature
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Writing
- Poetry Writing
- Reading
- Short Novel
- Summer
- Vocabulary
- World Literature
- Writing
What is your teaching philosophy?
Personalization. Tutoring differs from textbook teaching and online tips in that it requires face-to-face interaction. That added human element allows for tutors and tutees to give context to the assignments at hand. This isn't some article telling you to study more. This is real learning--identifying the specific roadblocks to comprehension and working together to nullify them.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
First, let's introduce ourselves, get a little context, and figure out how our goals intersect. I can't develop a teaching strategy without knowing who I'm speaking to and what his or her goals are.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students nowadays are benefitted by a limitless resource--the Internet. Research is often thought of as a chore by students, but I think that this soured philosophy is a consequence of bad teaching. Research strategies can be fun! And knowing how to properly use Google, Wikipedia, and your local library's catalogue to dig for knowledge is a key step in independent thought.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Assignments can sometimes seem arbitrary. However, this is a short-sighted way to view school work. I've adapted so much of my older work into more full-fledged pieces of writing--I've even published several poems that started off as school assignments. School prompts are just a jumping off point--it's the work that we do that defines us.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Slow down. Identify where the miscommunication is happening, or what concept/skill is hard to get. Talk about it some more. Use analogies or examples. And practice, practice, practice.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
The amount of students in college who haven't learned how to read aloud confidently is staggering. Reading shouldn't be a nervous activity. We can work to read at a pace that is comfortable for the student, in order to guarantee comprehension. With practice, an elementary reader will be able to pick out the key terms and understand the general argument of a piece without having to read the whole document--that's what I aim for.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
"Gamifying" study is a great way to incentivize learning. I learned to spell well not because I cared deeply about typos, but because I absolutely had to defeat my father at Scrabble. Ideally, we can find the fun in writing and reading without a carrot-on-the-stick. I'm excited to write whenever I have the opportunity, because it's the clearest form of self-expression that there is!
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Confidence comes from within. I'm here to teach students that the ability to write well and read well is within them. As they become more comfortable with these concepts, their confidence will shine brightly.