James
Certified Tutor
I have a long history with my own education that started at a boarding school in the Northeast and continued through college programs at the University of Chicago, San Francisco Art Institute, and Hunter College and Baruch College in New York City. I currently hold two masters degrees, one in Fine Art and one in Education.
I have worked with younger people since my first volunteer work at a public school on the south side of the Chicago in the early 90s. I have been a teacher in public schools for the last 10 years, but was a teacher both in Japan and in New York City before I began my current position.
Generally my expertise lies in mathematics but I am confident in my abilities in helping students complete homework in all academic areas. I like teaching math because over the years I have built up a great deal of insight into different ways to explain core mathematical concepts and relationships. As a tutor I like to find a baseline where my student feels confident and build on that confidence. I believe in practicing success but learning from failure.
Outside of academia I play ultimate frisbee, electric guitar and have started fooling around on the piano in recent years.
Connect with a tutor like James
Undergraduate Degree: University of Chicago - Bachelors, Public Policy
Graduate Degree: CUNY Hunter College - Masters, Education
Ultimate Frisbee, Electric Guitar
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- College Algebra
- Conversational French
- French
- French 2
- Geometry
- Homework Support
- Japanese
- Languages
- Math
- Other
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- PSAT Prep
- Special Education
- Statistics
- Trigonometry
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy can vary significantly from student to student. Students have unique needs that need to be met in very different ways. It takes time to build a positive relationship and to determine the subtleties of student needs. I enjoy getting to know the way my students think and learn so that I can develop specific approaches to helping each person maximize their learning.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would want to get a sense where my student feels confident and successful. I want to start from a feeling of success and move into slightly less comfortable areas, but to turn those topics into successes as well.