
John
Certified Tutor
My name is John Britton Buttrill, and I am an educator working in a global context. I have worked as an English Literature teacher for the past five years and will spend this year traveling throughout France & West Africa. I hold two graduate degrees, an MFA in creative writing and an MA in English education. I believe that the study of English allows us to garner the communication skills, while gaining a larger understanding of how our lives fit in to a diverse world. My passion for teaching literature stems from my background as a writer, as I am a produced playwright, published poet, and freelance journalist.
I have worked as an English teacher with the NYC Department of Education. I taught 9th grade English at a Title-1 high-school, serving high-needs BIPOC students, where I took on leadership and teaching roles. I was a team leader for the 9th grade English department, created department wide unit plans for a variety of texts, and taught both honors-level and special-needs students. I was a member of our school's Equity Committee and co-creator of a mentorship group for male-identifying students of color. During the 2020/2021 remote-learning school year, I utilized a variety of technologies, including Google Classroom, PearDeck, and Padlet. Lastly, I had the highest student-attendance rate in our high-school.
As a teacher of literature and literacy, I employ a Critical Pedagogy using the Socratic method. My practice is grounded in equity and social justice, and thus I challenge my students to interrogate the world around them. I believe that effective ELA instruction should be tailored to students' cultural contexts, while maintaining rigor and college preparedness. To achieve these goals, I strive for an authentic, relationship-based classroom culture.
Connect with a tutor like John
Undergraduate Degree: Oglethorpe University - Bachelor in Arts, English
Graduate Degree: The New School - Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing
Outside of education, my interests include boxing, hip-hop music, jazz, contemporary art, and travel.
- Academic Coaching
- Admissions
- AP Research
- Art
- College Application Essays
- College English
- College Government
- College Level American Literature
- Creative Writing
- Dissertation Writing
- EAS - Educating All Students (NY Teaching exam)
- English
- English Grammar and Syntax
- Essay Editing
- Fine Arts
- Government
- High School English
- High School Government
- High School Level American Literature
- High School Writing
- Literature
- Middle School English
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Social Studies
- Middle School Writing
- NYSTCE - New York State Teacher Certification Examinations
- Professional Certifications
- Reading
- Social Studies
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Thesis Writing
- Visual Arts
- Writing