Robert

Certified Tutor

I am a graduate of the Master's program at the School of Education at St. John's University, and a graduate of the undergraduate English program at Washington University in St. Louis. I am currently eligible to teach 7th to 12th grade English in a New York City school under the Initial Certificate, and have a combined three years of experience in the Department of Education. I have a significant background in tutoring, including test prep, English, Mathematics, and Social Studies. My extensive background in education, coupled with my intense desire to bring about positive change in the lives of New York City school children and my belief in the importance of using emerging educational technologies to engage with and enrich the education of students, has made me both a successful teacher, and a popular tutor.

While I have long believed that every student deserves and is capable of academic success, it was my time spent as a school teacher in East New York that most thoroughly convinced me of this fact. While the time I spent in an urban classroom was challenging in a way I never could have expected, it likewise brought with it an inexpressible joy- I was not just educating students about literature, I was teaching them how they can learn from and add to the literary language that is the undercurrent of our culture. As such, I have come to believe that the role of instructor is not just to educate but to prepare. My goal as a teacher and a tutor is to differentiate my instruction as finely as possible so that every student is prepared to demonstrate their knowledge on an examination and to consciously implement said knowledge in a way that improves their everyday life.

This passion for teaching is matched by a passion for the written word. In the past ten years, I have been a regular contributing writer to three newspapers, and have also seen my creative works printed in ten publications. In college, I started a successful literary magazine and have since started a second publication in my Brooklyn neighborhood. I have studied literature and practiced my own writing with a fervor that I am excited to pass on to my tutoring students. My experience grants me the unique experience to speak directly and frankly to students who might otherwise not actively participate in the writing process or who might not clearly understand how an English education can benefit their own life.

In my free time, I practice computer programming for emerging technologies (wearable devices such as Google Glass) and continue my career as a writer. I study technology extensively and love engaging my own interest in technology with that of my students. By connecting with students in this way, I am able to connect them more thoroughly to the education process and get to know them better as individuals.