Gregory M.
Private tutor in Philadelphia, PA
Education
My Master’s degree is in Liberal Studies, and I truly value the beauty of an eclectic education. I went to The New School for Social Research, and it was a very exciting time to be in NYC. I completed my thesis in May of 2013, and my overall GPA was a 3.47. My Master's program spanned across the humanities, arts, and social sciences. I studied mostly European literature, art history, and philosophy of the Modernist era. I had the opportunity to meet with prestigious people in the city and really expand my knowledge base in many ways through academic and social research. I had a great amount of academic freedom which enabled me to explore a variety of research and literary topics. I went Monmouth University as an undergraduate student and majored in English. As an English major I studied mostly British and American literature from a variety of periods. As I progressed in the program my main focus was in the Modernist era. Aside from my studies I also held leadership positions, did philanthropic work, had on-campus jobs, planned events, and conducted research. I finished one year of graduate school in Monmouth University’s English program before transferring to The New School in September of 2011. Aside from my literature courses, I also took creative writing seminars which were very helpful and informative as I wrote my own book starting in 2008. Essay Writing Research Strategies Fiction Writing Short Story Writing Characterization Close reading Thematization Business/Resume Writing Persuasive Academic Writing Review Writing Thesis Construction Cursive/Penmanship Grammar/Sentence Structure Vocabulary Test Preparation Study/Time Management
Experience
My ideology is a sense of revisioning how students read and appreciate writing and literature. Throughout my seven years of higher education, I mastered the ability to apply the use of rhetorical conventions while analyzing connections between multiple novels. Writers represent a particular period of time. In studying their works of fiction we must consider the historical and social stratification to see how literature is reflected in different cultures. A historical mentality can never fully reach a conclusion, and so it is important not to assume that a writer automatically has the same sensibility or tone as his or her fictional characters. Examining language in its proper social context is part of an analytical process. Diction is a portrait of thought and can reveal the dualistic nature of words and ideas. While addressing fundamental concerns one can see the history of the slope of the conversation, and to get passed a stagnating obstacle one can always ask different questions. Regarding interpretation and representation, is the author’s opinion the same as the narrative voice? What does including works that do not fit into an ideological perspective mean for the standards of the literary canon? What can we learn from applying a more current perspective to a previous portrayal of something? How do we as scholars and educators address the represented in texts? What does a social critique through literature mean for our understanding of what writers portray? I would encourage my students to debate and interpret the implications of topics in a literary and historical context including their significance, purpose, meaning and symbolic nature. Broadening a subjective view is accomplished by not restricting what can be openly discussed in a literary work. If we see literature as an interdisciplinary study to further understand and educate ourselves, we must have a variety of examples and ideas, as well as close reading methods giving attention to style, detail, wording, and symbolism. This is the process of recognizing the magnitude of literature for educational purposes regarding aesthetics, practicality, and content appreciation, and identifying key literary and rhetorical elements. While having a humanistic approach to literary criticism it is important to remember that form supplies order especially when ideas become more complex. A close reading can show the power of symbolism, myth, supposed stereotypes, and artistic expressions. Reading intertextually shows the connections between connotations and denotations, and various surrounding situations, sensibilities, and social movements. The major craft elements of fiction are plot, characterization, language, setting, and narrative style. All fiction is disruptive to the norm of peace and must be infused with conflict. We read fiction not only to get into the minds of other unknown people, but because as we get to know these literary characters we can relate to ourselves on a deeper level. The art of characterization includes the different fundamentals surrounding characters to make them more multifaceted. It is also important to discover what these characters want because needing to want something gives them an agency to effect change: We must ask, what do they care about, and how does that affect their style? Most literary texts are anchored by a character, and one of the most compelling aspects of a literary character is the context of their place and time. Fictional literature must be properly situated both socially and critically to show the methodology of social issues brought to life by literary characters. The question of why we read varies for many people, and there are a multitude of parts to regard when educating people in literature. It is important to combine the ideas of foundationalism regarding how texts are judged on literary merit, aesthetics, and representation, with anti-foundationalism’s more inclusive mentality of characterizing the human condition. When literature becomes a specialized interest, one ideology can be substituted for another. Sources of representation must have an artistic purpose, and it is imperative to challenge the impact of canonical works of fiction considering the individual nature of truth and beauty, the influence of language, and the power of the literary critic. In projecting ideas to others in a nonintrusive way we must ruminate the importance of oral, verbal, written and literal comprehension. It is an educator’s obligation to decipher what students want to gain from reading different literary works. There is no ‘should’ in the equation of metalinguistics as there are people who like reading at the experimental and traditional ends of the spectrum. We embrace what we can do well, and the best way to sustain a task or method is to diversify. As an undergraduate student, I had several jobs on campus at Monmouth University relating to working with students. From fall of 2010 until spring of 2011, I was a Writing Assistant at the university Writing Center, and also a Peer Learning Assistant for the First Year Seminar office. Along with these two positions, from fall of 2008 until spring of 2011, I was a Student Advising Mentor, in the First Year at Monmouth office. These positions gave me the opportunity to work with hundreds of amazing students who I met first during their summer orientation each year before they started college. As a Writing Assistant at Monmouth University, I was an English Tutor for MLA, APA, and Chicago subjects. I tutored about 15-20 students per week one on one, both undergraduate and graduate, including ESL/ELL students. The most rewarding part was working with these students because of how I saw them grow and excel in using a foreign language. Being a part of the writing process for a diverse group of students gave me the opportunity to constantly learn about different topics, and help the students to improve their writing and critical thinking skills. As a result of my experience working at the university Writing Center, I am certified by The College Reading and Learning Association as an English tutor. As a Peer Learning Assistant, I was an assistant teacher to three different professors of Freshman Seminar classes: a Communication class on relationships, a history class on culture war in contemporary America, and a Social Work class on the social connectedness of the millennium generation. In these classes I helped prepare lesson plans, lead class activities such as debates and group projects, and I was responsible for keeping an attendance log and giving supplementary instruction for students with special needs. These classes had between 25 to 30 students, where I also gave class presentations on APA and MLA writing styles, plagiarism, and thesis writing strategy. The students looked up to me and came to me for advice about different things relating to college life. As a result of my work, I was given a certificate of appreciation which marked the end of a very fulfilling experience. As a Student Advising Mentor for four years, my focus was on the growth and development of the incoming freshmen. I advised first year students with class scheduling and career/major choices, coping with the transition process into college, and acclimating into campus life. I also assistant directed the student summer orientation skits, and helped to plan and supervise the annual class community service project. I loved when the students would approach me on campus just walking to class or at different events throughout their years at Monmouth University, because I know I made a positive impact for many. Education Courses Becoming a Teacher Building Literacy for Elementary School Children Language Minority—Students in the Mainstream Classroom Teaching Content—Reading and Writing Teaching English Language Arts and Literacy Across the Curriculum Teaching Students with Diverse Needs Foundations of Education English/Literature Courses Medieval Shakespeare Renascence Victorian Non-European: African/West Indies Enlightenment/Romanticism Modernism/Postmodernism Creative Writing
Subject Expertise
5th Grade ReadingSAT Subject Test in LiteratureWorld LiteratureAP US HistoryArt HistoryEssay EditingAP English Language and CompositionAP United States HistoryCollege EssaysReadingSAT Critical ReadingPSAT Critical ReadingMedieval Literature10th Grade Reading11th Grade Reading12th Grade Reading4th Grade Reading6th Grade Reading7th Grade Reading8th Grade Reading9th Grade ReadingUS HistoryVocabularyGRE Analytical Writing11th Grade Writing12th Grade Writing4th Grade Writing6th Grade Writing5th Grade Writing7th Grade Writing8th Grade Writing9th Grade WritingCreative WritingFiction Writing10th Grade WritingHandwritingExpository WritingPersuasive WritingSAT WritingWritingAmerican LiteratureAP English Literature and CompositionBritish LiteratureLiterary AnalysisLiterature
Availability
Weekdays after 4PM, Weekends in the afternoon
Can Meet
Up to 20 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
My name is Gregory, and I’m a fiction writer from central New Jersey. I have a literary background from the New School for Social Research, and Monmouth University. My style and inspiration are a reflection of contemporary society projected into one of the most glamorous eras—the roaring 20s. Aside from writing the sequel to my novel, Teddy Madison, I design costumes clothing and accessories, perpetually celebrate life, and am pursuing a PhD program next fall. Teddy Madison is my debut novel and first publication. Most of this novel comes from others experiencing life’s most beautifully tragic flaws, the relativity to the complexity of the human condition, occurrences in New York’s nightlife, a close proximity to the Occupy Wall Street movement, the New York’s cultural influences, and being educated in history, philosophy and the arts. Students really like working with me: I’m relatable and inspirational. I’ve had several students come with me with their creative writing endeavors which has been very rewarding. I enjoy teaching literature and writing in different capacities. I mostly work with high school and college age students, but have experience with younger children as well. I am currently employed as an administrative/personal assistant in southern Philadelphia. I am also a certified substitute teacher: my students learn just as much from me as I do from them. While attending graduate school from September of 2011 to May of 2013, I was a full time student and wrote my first book. I was also a private English and History Tutor.
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