Great Books Tutor from St. John's College

Aaron S.

I earned my B.A. at St. John's College, which may be considered the premier Great Books school in the country. The degree received is a triple major in Philosophy, Literature, and the Natural Sciences. No textbooks allowed! All class readings are primary texts (from Homer to Heidegger) and take place in the Socratic style of discussion. After graduating in 2024 I wanted to bring this way of learning to younger members of the community.

I taught at a classical middle school for two years and led my students through ancient, medieval, and renaissance history, formal logic, writing, literature, algebra, and poetry. My style of teaching has developed from watching the tutors (professors) at St. John's, whom I consider to be excellent educators. My firm desire is to inspire a love of learning in my students and I have found that when the teacher presents themselves as a questioner learning takes on an exciting urgency and thrilling character. This has come from my reflections on the teaching style of those at St. John's as well as my own reading of Plato, particularly his Theages. For my more extended thoughts on this matter, I would refer you to an article I wrote for The Better Argument.

My best students were those who read serious books outside of class. It gave them a taste for the important questions of human existence and a desire to learn even more. I even had one student take up Ancient Greek on her own! There is nothing more exciting for a teacher than to see that the objects of learning which they so love are willingly taken up by their students.