Daniel: Blue Island tutor
Certified Tutor
I first came to Washington D.C. as a senior in college, as a participant in the Boston University Washington D.C. program. I was about to graduate from BU with a B.A. in American History, and felt that some hands-on experience in our nation's capital would round out my academic experience perfectly. During my semester in Washington, I fell in love with the idea of government service, which led to a ten year career in government and politics, first on Capitol Hill, and later for a major D.C. government relations firm. This experience gave me a strong working knowledge of our nation's government.
While I found my career in politics quite fulfilling, I never lost my love and passion for learning and knowledge. In 2010, this passion led me to pursue a Master of Arts in American Studies from Georgetown University. This multidisciplinary program included courses in subjects as diverse as theology and literature, the U.S. Constitution, and 20th Century American Foreign Policy. I wrote my Master's dissertation on the Evolution of the Modern U.S. Senate, a subject which was inspired by my own career on Capitol Hill.
Last year, I decided to leave politics to pursue a career in education, research, and teaching. I now teach in the Boston University Washington Program, the same program I myself participated in as an undergraduate in 2005. This semester, I will be teaching a course on the History of the Modern U.S. Senate, a course which I designed myself based on the research I conducted for my Master's thesis.
In addition to my academic background and my professional experience, I bring a strong passion for helping students and an experience working with young people to my position as a tutor. While at BU, I worked as a Student Adviser for incoming freshmen, and served on the college's Academic Conduct Committee. More recently, I have been a youth basketball coach in the Arlington County Rec League.
I feel that the most effective tutors are those who are both passionate and knowledgeable about the subjects they are teaching. The tutor must empower the student to master the subject on his or her own, through creative, innovative engagement with the material. I will bring this approach to my position as a tutor, and look forward to helping students achieve their goals.
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Undergraduate Degree: Boston University - Bachelors, American History
Graduate Degree: Georgetown University - Masters, American Government
- SAT Math: 760
- SAT Verbal: 740
Sports (playing and watching), reading, listening to music, exploring D.C. with my fiancee, watching old TV Shows and movies, planning my wedding!
- AP United States History
- AP US History
- College Level American History
- Government
- GRE
- High School Level American History
- History
- Political Science
- SAT Prep
- SAT Math
- SAT Mathematics
- SAT Reading
- SAT Subject Test in United States History
- SAT Subject Tests Prep
- SAT Verbal
- Social Sciences
- Social Studies
- Test Prep
- US History
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that the best way to teach is to inspire a passion and interest in the subject for the student who is being taught. This is particularly important in history and the humanities, where students may not immediately understand the relevance to their daily lives. By explaining to the student how historical events have impacted their lives and the world around them, you instill a curiosity and interest that makes the facts much easier to remember and work with.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would first ask the student what has led them to pursue a tutor in the subject at hand: Do they enjoy the subject and want to learn more about it, or are they struggling with it and have no real interest? Once that question has been answered, I would ask the student specifically what they do or do not like about the subject at hand, and use that information to determine the student's learning style and the best way to proceed.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
The most successful strategy for working with a new student is to first talk with the student about the subject matter to be tutored. Find out what they know about the subject, what they enjoy about it (if anything), and why feel they are struggling. By finding out specifically what is causing the student to struggle, you will best be able to help them improve. I believe this to be a much more effective approach than focusing on specific topics or questions immediately.