Jack

I am a graduate of the University of Chicago. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies, focusing on post-war Japanese Cinema and the French New Wave. Since graduating I have worked in Chicago and Los Angeles as a screenwriter, critic, blogger, and filmmaker. Since I work primarily in the Arts, I have always tutored in order to keep academia and education in my life. I was a English Literature nerd who grew into a filmmaker, and I'm most engaged when both sides of myself are challenged.

When I was in school, my Dad would put an unusually high premium on what he called, "intellectual curiosity." He insisted it wasn't enough to get an "A" or to complete an assignment, instead he wanted my sister and me to earnestly care about and investigate the subjects we studied. This was maddening to me. My teachers were mostly focused on grades, so what was the problem as long as my grades were good?

I finally understood when I went to college at the University of Chicago. Being curious and excited about a subject became a necessity as the course work became more difficult. Suddenly I was allowed to fail, and my success was dependent entirely on my own work and motivation. I became more excited about studying, about coursework, about learning new subjects and deepening my knowledge in others.

I'm a naturally curious person, so my goal as a tutor is to help students use their own curiosity. I work with students to help them think more effectively, to understand the big picture behind a lesson plan, and to learn how to navigate a test or assignment in order to effectively use their knowledge and intelligence. My goal as a tutor is not to help a student get to a particular answer, or fill in a particular box. My goal is to help a student see the abstract concept behind the subject, to understand the big picture, to learn how to think more effectively. If one can learn circumspection and hone their curiosity, they have a huge head start regardless of the subject matter. This goes for everything from US History to English to the SAT exam.