Social Studies Teacher & Former NPR Affliate Journalist

Robert S.

Hi there, I'm Bob! I'm a Social Studies and Writing teacher at a middle school in Chicago, IL. I have a master's degree in Social Studies Education from Boston University and have been teaching for 4 years now. Before working in education, I was a public radio journalist in Boston for 6 years. That is actually what my undergraduate degree is in: English for Journalism and Professional Writing. I have been a news junkie since a young age and love sharing stories about our world and the people in it. Truly, that's really what social studies is all about as far as I'm concerned!

I always knew I would be a teacher if I wasn't a journalist. I went back to school part-time while working to get my master's and have been so incredibly happy with the decision to enter education. I currently teach 7th and 8th Grade students, but I am licensed to teach social studies all the way up through 12th grade and I student taught U.S. History for high school sophomores. The subjects I currently teach include the European colonization of Africa, WWI and WWII, the 1920s/1930s, and U.S. government/civics.

I think about the best social studies teachers I've ever had and I tend to think about why I gravitated toward them so much. Not only were they great at making social studies/history fun, relevant, and engaging - but they also were great people. They connected on a personal level with students and spoke to me and others as equals worth getting to know and listening to. This is very much how I teach and tutor; I want to truly know my students and what makes them tick. Let's have fun, learn about each other, and learn about the world at the same time!