About Me

I received my BA cum laude in Anthropology???with a minor in History???from the University of Florida. Now, I am embarking on the challenging journey of earning my MA in Conflict Resolution from the University of Georgetown. During and after my time at the University of Florida, I worked not only as a tutor, but also as an EMT-Paramedic, a lifeguard, a martial arts instructor, and a swim instructor. I have been fortunate enough to travel to several different countries in Central America, South America, Africa, and the Caribbean. I have done medical aid work in both Nicaragua and Haiti. My teaching experiences outside of academic instruction include 8 years of teaching Kenpo Karate, several years of swimming instruction for noncompetitive swimmers and triathletes, and four years training college and graduate students at annual disaster response training exercises for the Consortium for Humanitarian Service and Education. I apparently aspire to have a resume similar to The-Most-Interesting-Man-In-The-World's.As a teacher, I try to "guide learning" rather than just reciting facts or "teaching at" a student. I believe that discovery is the most exciting way to learn as well as the best method for producing long-term recall; it also tailors every learning experience to the individual student. I was most inspired to pursue this Socratic style of teaching after taking several courses in college from a professor who had perfected the technique. The majority of his class-time revolved around asking us questions that led us to the points he was trying to make. While not everything can be taught purely in this fashion, I try to make my lessons focus on principles and processes, creating a deeper understanding of the facts presented in class or in the textbook. I find that this technique works very well with math and physics, where understanding the theory is often the key to being able to see a problem and find the right path to a solution. I also try to apply this method to test preparation, so that students aren't just following a test-taking strategy because they were told to, they are using that strategy because they were encouraged to discover it for themselves and they understand why it works. Ultimately, I enjoy teaching because both the student and I can simultaneously improve in a process that never ceases to make us better. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy pretty much any activity that gets me outside, especially if that outside happens to be in the woods or near the beach (I am from Florida after all...). While outside, I usually find myself running (again, in the woods if possible), reading, or attempting to channel my inner-Ron Swanson by building things from wood (I am at the table- and chair-level, definitely not the canoe-level. Yet).

Education & Certifications

Q&A with Alex

Tutoring Subjects