Ph.D. Student Tutoring in English and History/Social Studies

Zachary M.

I'm a Ph.D. student in philosophy at the University of Georgia with a broad background in the liberal arts. I previously completed all coursework for the Ph.D. in an interdisciplinary program in history and philosophy at the University of Texas, Dallas, where I also passed my field exams and the oral qualifying exam with the highest mark that can be awarded. I also hold an M.A. in political science/theory from Boston College. Before that I earned a B.A. in social sciences from Shimer, a "great-books" college that gave me a broad grounding in the liberal arts. I have a passion for subjects across the social sciences and humanities and am also TEFL-certified.

I have extensive experience as a teacher and tutor, having taught at a charter school across the core subjects and grades ranging from 6 to 12, and as a graduate teaching assistant at the university level in both history and philosophy courses, and having tutored elementary-age students 1:1 in reading, writing and grammar, both in-person and online. I was also nominated for a district-level teaching award while working at the charter school. I thus have wide-ranging experience across different subjects and ages ranging from pre-K through college.

As a tutor, I stress depth of understanding rather than the rote memorization of content. Thus, I work to ensure my tutees comprehend, e.g., why a thesis-driven paper ought to be composed in a certain way or a particular text can elicit and support one interpretation better than another. In teaching history, I try to balance emphasis on mastery of the facts with that on an interpretive/critical engagement with source materials.