All of
James’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
James’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
American History
In the wrong hands, an American history class can be one of mindless memorization, rote recitation, and exposure to only one perspective of the historical narrative. If this is the case, a student can easily become confused and will learn nothing.
To tackle these hurdles, I employ items such as visual aids, charts, and maps, differing accounts of events, primary documents regarding these events, and a variety of other items to help bring life and interest to the subject matter.
CBEST
As an individual who passed the CBEST, I can help guide others through the exam by providing them with practice questions and writing prompts similar to those asked on the actual exam.
Economics
Economics can be a very confusing and frustrating subject, especially when it is taught in an environment where the only visuals are pie charts or bar graphs, and the only examples are framed in the context of products or services that are irrelevant to the student.
Naturally, I faced similar challenges when I was teaching economics during my semester of student teaching. In order to lessen student frustration and confusion, I developed a variety of visual aids and activities to help drive the point home. For example, to help students understand the differences between various kinds of economies (command, market, traditional, etc.,) rather than relying on what was said in the books, I had students act out a variety of skits to present to the other students.
Based on the success of these activities and teaching aids, I would continue to utilize such resources in my tutoring as well.
European History
European history can either be incredibly easy or incredibly difficult and frustrating for students. What causes the most difficulty for students in this subject is the fact that so many of the histories of European nations overlap. As one can imagine, this can cause considerable confusion.
Fortunately, there are ways to tackle this problem. I have found that utilizing items like charts, graphs, posters, or any other sort of graphic organizer can be incredibly helpful to students as they seek to make sense of European history.
Geography
Having an understanding of geography is the foundation for understanding and enjoying the study of history. To help facilitate this understanding, I will utilize a variety of methods, such as geography games (a la 'Where in The World Is Carmen San Diego',) flash cards, and puzzles to help students get interested in geography.
Study Skills
One of the greatest challenges that all students face during their academic careers is the development of effective study skills. This need is imperative for a variety of reasons: First and foremost, it makes the act of studying that much easier on the student because it lessens the amount of stress on the student. Secondly, it makes the material that much easier for the student to understand in their own mind, thereby lessening confusion and second guessing.
I have several simple and effective techniques which I utilized throughout my academic career. Some of these include: listening to music at a low setting while studying, frequent, but brief, study breaks, creating study games, and even using simple flashcards.
These techniques saved me from countless hours of worry and resulted in me enjoying the subject, and ultimately enabled me to succeed in my subjects.
World History
World history is one of many subjects in social sciences that can either be incredibly fun and exciting, or incredibly dull and aggravating because of the fact that one is presented with so much information from various parts of the globe.
While I was teaching a world history class during my student teaching semester, I noticed that a handful of students we experiencing difficulty in this class because they were having a hard time remembering what happened at a certain point in time in a particular place. To help combat this difficulty, I employed the use of not only worksheets/graphic organizers to help the students keep the main ideas, dates, and events straight in their heads, but I also utilized skits, art projects, group work, and other such activities to help alleviate their confusion.