Teacher & Historian specializing in History, Essay Writing, Test Prep

Hilary B.

I am a historian, PhD candidate, and former college instructor. I teach because I love helping students develop important skills, knowledge, confidence, and a genuine love of learning.

I help students at all levels with history, English, essay writing, and other humanities and social studies topics. I also have experience helping students specifically with AP classes, test preparation, and college admissions essays. I specifically work with students to develop a deep understanding of historical events, issues, and concepts, and to improve research and argumentation skills.

My current historical research focuses specifically on the Cold War in the Pacific Northwest. Additional areas of interest include nuclear history, environmental history, migration, women's history, imperialism, and public history. I take a unique approach to teaching and incorporate many different types of sources to accommodate different interests and learning styles. Some examples include historical objects, primary sources like diaries, podcasts, music, etc. In evaluations, my students reported that they found my methods to be interesting, engaging, and useful.

When working with writing students I am careful to meet each student where they are. Above all, I seek to build students' confidence in their abilities. I work with students on every aspect of writing: thesis development, researching, outlining, drafting, and revising. When working on class assignments I help students to work through the specific assignment while also keeping an eye on building skills and confidence. And when working with students on college admissions essays (including Common App essays), I help students to develop their unique voice and perspective so that their applications will shine.

I am a patient and positive tutor and adapt every session to the individual student. Whether you need help mastering a topic, developing a plan of action, getting past blank page syndrome, or simply proofreading at the end of a project, I’m here to help.