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Passionate, Patient Educator Here to Help!
Dane S.

5.0 (76 ratings)

128 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $100
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About Dane

Bio

Hello! My name is Dane and I'm currently a New Jersey–certified teacher, adjunct professor, and James Madison Fellow—here to make Advanced Placement® and college-level history clear, engaging, and (believe it or not) fun. During my 15 years in the classroom I have taught AP U.S., AP World, and AP European History, guided seniors through dual-enrollment courses, and coached countless students one-on-one to reach their goals.

Why work with me?

Deep expertise. I hold a Master’s in European...

Hello! My name is Dane and I'm currently a New Jersey–certified teacher, adjunct professor, and James Madison Fellow—here to make Advanced Placement® and college-level history clear, engaging, and (believe it or not) fun. During my 15 years in the classroom I have taught AP U.S., AP World, and AP European History, guided seniors through dual-enrollment courses, and coached countless students one-on-one to reach their goals.

Why work with me?

Deep expertise. I hold a Master’s in European History and a second Master’s in American History.

Proven results. Although no tutor can promise a score, my students consistently out-perform national averages—many earning coveted 4s and 5s—thanks to targeted skill-building and plenty of practice with real exam prompts.

Personalized approach. Every session is tailored: we might untangle textbook chapters, decode stimulus-based multiple-choice questions, or polish DBQ essays with line-by-line feedback.

Flexible options. Reserve weekly spots (popular during the school year), drop in as deadlines loom, schedule a one-time “exam-cram,” or submit essays asynchronously for detailed commentary—whatever fits your calendar.

Whether you need a roadmap for mastering rubrics, help synthesizing primary sources, or simply a confidence boost before test day, I’ll meet you where you are and move you forward.

Take a look at my parent-and-student reviews, and feel free to request a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit. History’s stories are fascinating; with the right guide, learning them can be, too. Let’s get started!

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Education

Rowan University
History Education
Monmouth University
Masters
Gettysburg College
Masters
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

American History

American History

With more than 15 years of teaching U.S. History—including AP U.S. History and dual-enrollment survey courses—I build units that span Indigenous societies through twenty-first-century globalization, weaving political, social, and constitutional themes into every era. My master’s degree in American history and James Madison Fellowship ground my instruction in intensive primary-source analysis—from Federalist and Antifederalist writings to Cold-War civil-defense pamphlets—while my “bonfire” metaphor helps students visualize long-term causation for conflicts such as the Civil War. Students consistently outperform national APUSH averages because I model rubric-aligned DBQ/LEQ writing, stimulus-based MCQ strategies, and historiographical thinking that highlights debates from Charles Beard to modern scholarship. Beyond the classroom I have presented at state conferences on teaching Reconstruction, consulted on district curriculum alignment, and authored digital review guides and practice assessments used by hundreds of APUSH learners each year.
European History

European History

For more than a decade I have taught European History at the honors and AP levels, guiding students from classical Greece through post-Soviet integration while anchoring lessons in the main themes of intellectual, cultural, political, and social transformation outlined by the College Board. Holding an M.A. in European history—with research on Enlightenment political thought and nineteenth-century nationalism—I weave primary sources such as Luther’s 95 Theses, Burke’s Reflections, and excerpts from the Schuman Declaration into document labs that train students to evaluate point of view and historical context. My classes regularly exceed national AP European History pass rates because I coach students in HIPP analysis, comparative causation charts, and thesis-driven DBQ/LEQ writing, emphasizing continuity-and-change arguments across periods like the Renaissance-Reformation and the Industrial/Age-of-Isms shift. Outside the classroom I have presented workshops on integrating art-history skills into AP Euro, mentored new teachers on thematic pacing calendars, and produced digital timeline reviews and practice FRQs downloaded by thousands of students preparing for the exam each spring.
Praxis

Praxis

As a teacher in the state of New Jersey I was required to pass both the Praxis and Praxis II to earn my teaching certificate. The exams feature reading, writing, and basic mathematic portions- subjects in which I feel more than comfortable tutoring in. I'd like to provide the same clarity and confidence I had while taking the exams to prospective educators.
Social Studies

Social Studies

Over the past 15 years I have taught the full social-studies spectrum—history, civics, economics, and geography—at both middle- and high-school levels, designing vertically-aligned curricula that meet C3 Framework and state standards while cultivating inquiry, document analysis, and data-literacy skills. My interdisciplinary units pair economic simulations (e.g., classroom “market crashes”) with geographic GIS mapping and primary-source political debates so students see how governmental decisions, resource distribution, and cultural identities intersect. As department chair I have led PLCs that embed disciplinary literacy strategies into every course, mentored new teachers on scaffolding argumentative writing with claim-evidence-reasoning models, and co-authored district pacing guides that integrate SEL and civic-engagement projects such as student-run town halls. Outside the classroom I present at regional social-studies conferences on using digital archives and GeoInquiries, and my interactive review guides—covering everything from federalism to global migration patterns—are now used by hundreds of students preparing for state assessments and AP exams.
World History

World History

Over the past 15 years I have taught World History at multiple levels—including AP World History: Modern—designing scaffolded units that move from Neolithic foundations to globalization while aligning tightly with the College Board curriculum framework. I am fluent with leading secondary texts such as Strayer’s Ways of the World and routinely integrate historiographical debates, comparative methodologies, and primary-source workshops into lessons to push students beyond surface chronology. My AP pass rate consistently exceeds the national average because I train students in stimulus-based multiple choice, SAQ/LEQ/DBQ writing, and thematic synthesis, while leveraging my dual master’s-level research expertise (European and American history) to draw cross-regional parallels. Beyond the classroom I have presented on world-history pedagogy at district PD sessions, mentored new teachers, and authored digital review guides that thousands of students use in the weeks leading up to the exam.
Writing

Writing

For more than fifteen years I have coached students—from struggling ninth-graders to AP Language seniors and first-year college writers—on transforming raw ideas into clear, persuasive prose. Trained in both composition pedagogy and Chicago/MLA/APA style, I break writing into an iterative process: pre-writing heuristics, evidence integration, rhetorical technique, and meticulous revision, using color-coded feedback and live “sentence surgery” to model concision and flow. My workshop approach has produced award-winning National History Day papers, top-score AP essays, and scholarship-winning personal statements, while my digital style guide—downloaded by thousands—walks writers through thesis calibration, logical sequencing, and grammar troubleshooting. Outside the classroom I freelance-edit graduate theses, have published articles on argument scaffolding in English Journal, and present at NCTE conferences on bridging rhetorical analysis with real-world writing tasks.
Government & Politics
Political Science
Reading

Examples of Expertise

Dane has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 8 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

See all of Dane ’s answers ›
Dane S.'s Photo

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Response time: 1 hour

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (76 ratings)
5 star
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4 star
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Reviews

A Truly Amazing History Tutor!!

Dane is an award winning history teacher that quickly took my son from C's to A's. He truly cares about his students and always wanted to know exactly what was being studied in class so that he could prepare a lesson plan for the tutoring session. This extra work that he put in, beyond the session itself, consisted of creating tests and study aids that gave my son the confidence he needed to ace his in class tests and homeworks. We cannot speak more highly of Dane. An incredible teacher who will greatly benefit those in need of help!!

George, 7 lessons with Dane

Grateful for Dane’s help

Dane helped my 9th grade son tremendously over a short period of time. He listened to our needs and brought his own expertise to bring about improvements in the way my son understands/synthesizes the material and writes DBQ responses. Dane’s teaching style is very clear and engaging. We feel very fortunate to have found Dane and my son looks forward to learning as much as possible from every session! Thanks to Dane my son got an A on his midterm!!

Lorraine, 7 lessons with Dane

Knowledgeable & Productive History Tutor - Highly Recommend

For high school students with a lot of extracurricular activities, AP World History is indeed a challenge that just like my son experienced. Last December, I noticed that my son was struggling to gain enough confidence for his AP World History final exam. Since he didn’t do well on his previous two tests, his grade dropped to an A-. In order to catch up, he kept staying up later, which made me anxious. I persuaded him to drop some activities but he refused. Luckily, I found Mr. Dane S. After just one class, my son came up to me and thanked me for finding such a great teacher for him. Dane is absolutely professional. He doesn’t just lecture—he keeps pushing my son to think about things from different perspectives and encourages him to speak out his opinions. He uses tons of real examples and talks through them together, which makes everything easier to understand and remember. Also, he shares many helpful study tips, like how to figure out exactly what each exam question is really asking for. Just like I hoped, my son ended up gaining 96% in his final. I sincerely appreciate Dane’s help and would like my son to continue studying with him to prepare for his AP exam in May. Here, I’m happy to share this experience with anyone going through something similar. If you’re stuck, don’t give up—find the right teacher like Dane. I am sure he can totally change your attitude toward history and bring back your confidence as well.

LI, 5 lessons with Dane

THE hands down best tutor in this area of expertise to ever exist.

I am not joking. The knowledge and all information presented to me is overwhelming. All my questions are answered in full detail and it does not end. If I question or don't understand I am just given more knowledge that makes me understand better. On top of that Dane is Patient, understanding, friendly, excellent communication. My confidence went from 5% to 100% after 1 hour session. Dane is the man. Rating 100 out of 10.

Nenad, 5 lessons with Dane

Excellent Tutor

Dane is very knowledgeable and has been able to help my daughter prepare for her test. She now feels confident about the material.

Heather, 2 lessons with Dane

Incredible tutor!

Me and Dane went over the AP world history DBQ. Before this lesson, I was close to giving up on the whole exam. Dave walked through it with me in a teaching style that was very helpful to me. I have never had any sort of teacher or tutor's teaching style click with me as much as Dane's has. He walked me through what I should thinking and noticing, but was still forcing me to think and make connections. I would absolutely recommend Dane to anyone! 20/10 experience!

Lesley, 2 lessons with Dane

Awesome tutor!

Dane worked wonders with my son, who has great difficulty writing. He helped him write a history essay. I would highly recommend him.

Rochelle, 3 lessons with Dane

WHAP lesson with Dane

Lesson was great! Dane helped my daughter to structure her approach to study, reading, taking and reviewing notes. Dane also provided her with a tutorial on how to become a more efficient reader. Fantastic lesson, much appreciated!

Anna, 1 lesson with Dane

Very knowledgeable and patient tutor who will help you succeed

Dane is fantastic! I highly recommend that anyone who needs or would like some help with their assignment contact him immediately! This is your guy. He took his time explaining in detail the information needed for my assignment, and I left the session feeling very confident. Feeling confident is huge after not going to college for 20 years! I will definitely schedule more sessions with my contemporary World History Course. Thank you very much for the help!

Alan, 5 lessons with Dane
Hourly Rate: $100
Response time: 1 hour
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