Ian

Certified Tutor

Desiderius Erasmus wrote more than 500 years ago, "Live as if you are to die tomorrow, study as if you were to live forever," and it is really my philosophy of life and learning. Life is short, so take advantage of every opportunity we get. Yet the world is vast, so take advantage of every chance we have to get to know it more. Erasmus really had me in that single sentence!

I have been a teacher and student of the humanities since 1993, when I enrolled at Blackburn College, a tiny midwestern liberal arts school in the middle of a corn field. As I studied history, literature, and philosophy, played soccer, acted in various plays, and met people from around the world, I developed a lifelong love of learning that continues to this day.

I earned a B.A. in History while at Blackburn College, where I minored in Literature and Philosophy. Since then, I completed an M.A. in History at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and the University of New Hampshire. I also finished an M.S.T. in College Teaching at the University of New Hampshire, along with my Ph.D. in History. Today I am an active scholar in the fields of history and geography with more than 14 years of teaching experience and a variety of publications focused on early American history. I am currently working on a book about the origins of American history in colonial America and developing a text mapping project using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software.

Since my undergraduate years, I have been tutoring students in the humanities, social sciences, reading, writing, and test taking. Each year I spend a week reading student responses for the AP exams, and I love to help students achieve the best possible scores on these exams. Reading and writing are my passions when it comes to learning, and regardless of the subject, I am dedicated to helping my students develop expertise in these areas. Indeed, when I work with learners, my goal is to understand their individual learning styles and develop strategies to help them accomplish their goals. Every student is different, and every student is brilliant. I believe my job as a tutor is finding how to harness that brilliance in the classroom.

When I am not working, I love spending time outdoors hiking or biking. I also enjoy watching soccer on television, and am a big fan of Real Madrid in Spain and Fulham in the UK. I enjoy reading modern literature quite a bit; my favorites are Thomas Pynchon and Alvaro Mutis. I also love comics, and keep up with the Walking Dead series. I love action and adventure television, and watch Doctor Who and Mr. Robot most often. Finally, I am constantly on the lookout for new (to me) bands to see live. I love just about every different genre and enjoy the experience of music in all of its forms and fashions.