David Nicholas: Bellwood tutor

Certified Tutor

I've committed myself to to the path of teaching because I derive purpose from the ancient and essential process of passing on knowledge and skills to others. I find the moments that I can see measurable progress in my students' study of the subjects I'm teaching to be deeply satisfying. I draw inspiration as an instructor both from great teachers I've had the pleasure of studying under in person and those whose ideas I've grown from ages after their time alike.

After completing my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Anthropology at Florida International University I decided to move to China where I began my teaching career by teaching English at Chinese universities, colleges and language centers. I stayed in China for the majority of the time between 2010 and 2019, when I came back amid indications of a pandemic starting . I've been in the US since then I've taught English and Chinese on different platforms.

During my time in China I also completed a master's degree in political science from at Renmin University of China. My master's thesis was on the impact on US-China relations of Americas grand strategy in the Indo-Pacific, in which I made several accurate projections of the emerging conditions of the international environment, among them increased militarization and regionalism in the context of the closing of the post Cold War conditions .

It is for these reasons that aside from English and college applications essays I am positioned to teach beginner and intermediate level Chinese , and I can tutor students of international affairs and political science , especially those with an interest in Northeast Asia. Social sciences in general are perhaps my favorite subjects to teach because my academic interests are in social and political science as well.

With regards to Chinese language teaching, I have had students with no experience before meeting me whatsoever and students that had been learning for up to two years before starting class with me. In planning classes with my students I first consult them/their parents on their goals and previous exposure to studying Chinese and proceed by asking them some basic questions or showing some simple sentences to measure their reading ability. I'm most suited to teaching students that have been studying Chinese for three years or less, but beyond this point any language student will be familiar with the need to regularly practice their speaking skills and am available for a more free flowing conversational style class for advanced students who may be interested.

As for my English teaching , I can teach conversation, reading and debate to ESL learners or, for native speaking students and ESL students alike assist with analytical and college application essays. Additionally I'm very familiar with the IELTS/TOEFL exam structures for ESL students interested in studying in English speaking countries.

My teaching methodology is student centered. I emphasize the need for students to participate in a language lesson so as to internalize concepts, language knowledge and fluency that I am always ready to explain patiently but encourage my students to actually implement during their valuable time. In China an issue I often had was students lacking confidence to speak and I've developed my tool set to get my students to surprise themselves and speak up more.

Whether helping students to understand the conditions that led to current geopolitical situations they are just now being exposed to or teaching them how to bargain for better prices in Mandarin, I enjoy teaching and it is my hope that by coming to Varsity Tutors I can be a positive influence on more students' lives.