I was once a full-time teacher and tutor. I no longer teach full time—but teaching is a habit I cannot kick. For some people it is racing cars. For others it is shooting guns or jamming out on the guitar. For a good few it is 8-hour shopping sessions with a pedicure thrown in. For me it is guiding teenagers through the classics of world history and literature!
It is a fortunate passion to have: it is hard to instill enthusiasm for old books in a teenage mind if the teacher is not themselves a fanatic! My post “How I Taught the Iliad to Chinese Teenagers” will give you a sense for my teaching style and methods—you will see that my open-ended, discussion heavy approach to the classics is ideal for students in home schooling groups, but it can be adapted for more advanced individual students (say, those wanting to prepare for an AP exam).
I have previously taught units on a variety of topics: war literature, international relations theory, ancient Chinese classics, utopian and dystopian literature, ethical philosophy, Greek epics, U.S. history, and Chinese history. I have also tutored students through the AP US History, AP Language, and AP Literature exams (and have been to College Board trainings on these topics). I am happy to adapt to the exact needs and interests of my students. Know however that my expectations for students are high: if I am their teacher they will be required to read and write a lot.
My time is limited. I usually reserve enough space in my schedule to teach one or two units at any given ‘semester.’ My usual preferences is to teach students in person (I am located in the DC metro), but will occasionally teach students through Zoom if a enough of them can be gathered for one class.
If you are interested in having me teach a customized course in history or literature to your child (or your child’s homeschool/study group) please fill out the contact form below. I will soon contact you in person to discuss the details of your request.