An avid reader who lists books and writing among his core hobbies, Aaron approaches literature by teaching students to dig into how authors construct meaning — through imagery, narrative structure, and recurring motifs. He's particularly skilled at walking through close-reading techniques that turn a vague "I think the author means..." into a well-supported analytical claim. Rated 5.0 by students.

Reading literature well is really about building an argument from evidence — figuring out what a symbol, motif, or narrative choice actually accomplishes in a text. Avi's science background gives him an unusually analytical lens for close reading, and he teaches students to support interpretations with specific textual details rather than vague impressions.

Reading literature closely means noticing how an author's choices — diction, structure, point of view — shape meaning beyond the surface plot. Edward brings a lifelong love of reading and writing to literary analysis, teaching students to build interpretive arguments grounded in textual evidence rather than summary. Whether the assignment involves poetry explication or a novel essay, he unpacks the analytical moves that turn observations into compelling claims.

I am my strongest and best self when helping others. As an enthusiastic, passionate, and dependable teacher, I am consistently working to share and engage with the material I love.

Reading literature analytically is closer to debugging code than most people think — both require tracing patterns, questioning assumptions, and building an argument from evidence. Oluwatosin brings that structured reasoning to literary analysis, teaching students how to dissect themes, symbolism, and authorial intent in ways that translate directly into stronger essays and class discussions.

An avid reader who spends his free time with books across genres, Guillermo digs into literary analysis by teaching students to trace themes, symbolism, and character motivation through specific textual evidence. He treats close reading as a skill that can be practiced — not a talent you either have or don't.

Reading literature through a psychological lens opens up character analysis in ways most students haven't considered — why does Hamlet delay, what drives Gatsby's obsession, how does trauma shape Beloved? Erika's psychology background gives her a distinctive angle on close reading and thematic interpretation that makes essays sharper and more original.

Reading literature analytically — pulling apart symbolism, tracking narrative structure, identifying an author's rhetorical choices — is a different skill from simply enjoying a book. Jeremy brings an engineer's precision to close reading, teaching students to build interpretive arguments that are grounded in textual evidence rather than vague impressions. That structured approach tends to resonate especially well with students who consider themselves "math people."

Reading Virgil and Cicero in the original Latin trained Zachary to dig beneath surface-level plot and examine how authors use language to build meaning. He brings that same close-reading discipline to English literature, whether a student is annotating a Shakespeare sonnet or writing a thematic analysis of a modern novel.

Reading a novel closely means asking what choices the author made and why — why this metaphor, why this narrator, why end the chapter here. Matthew approaches literature analytically, teaching students to build interpretive arguments from textual evidence rather than summarizing plot. His cross-disciplinary thinking as a computer science student gives him a fresh angle on literary structure and logic.

James earned his English minor by digging into everything from Victorian novels to contemporary poetry, and that breadth shows when he teaches literary analysis — identifying unreliable narrators, unpacking symbolism, or tracing how an author's historical context shapes theme. His psychology background also gives him a unique lens for analyzing character motivation and internal conflict.

Reading literature closely means slowing down to ask what a text is doing, not just what it's about — why an author chose a particular narrator, how imagery builds a mood, what a symbol carries across chapters. Oen pairs his liberal arts education at Grinnell with genuine curiosity about how stories work, making discussions of poetry, novels, and drama feel like exploration rather than homework.