Jacob

Rate $52
Response 1h

$52/hr

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History
Current affairs
Politics
Journalism

Formerly worked in media as a Visual Journalist, translating and summarizing big abstract ideas into easily digestible materials and information. Currently studying to recieve on a Masters in Secondar

History
Current affairs
Politics
Journalism

Lesson location

- online

About Jacob

Reading other people's words for a living makes the task of writing this essay, using my own words and thoughts, a bit overwhelming. I've made a career out of supplementing other people's work, whether through illustrations, explanatory graphics, or concise headlines. Throughout my work in the news industry – as an amateur since 2006 and professional since 2015 – I've watched some of the biggest stories in recent history unfold, resulting in acute news judgment. This ability relies on an understanding of the past. Since history is cyclical, it is imperative to assess why event "X" is significant now, relying on an understanding of what led to that event, and then assessing what the implications of that event could mean for the future. I want to be the person to provide this context for future generations.

About the lesson

I spent the past decade as a “dot connector.” Beginning with formal training in my undergraduate work to professionally as a news designer, my job was to draw connections from the “big stories” to their consequences. I tracked myriad timelines that breached all sections and could span decades or even centuries, monitoring the progression of an event from a blip to supernova. Working on the visual side of the newsroom, I spent countless hours watching, reading, researching, and learning more — constantly aware of and consuming the never-ending new batches of information that would better inform the infographics I created or the copy I wrote. My success in the newspaper industry was rooted in two ideas: minimalism and the recognition that every day is a working draft. These two principles guided my career as a creative, as I’m sure they will in my profession as a history teacher. The transcendency of these ideas from one career to another is a testament to their universality and flexibility.

The first principle, minimalism, from an aesthetic view, teaches that “less is more” and to appreciate the beauty of simplicity and repetition. What does this look like practiced in the educational field? As a teacher, to tell a student that an event, person, or idea was significant condescends their own capacity for understanding. It distrusts their ability to actively and independently draw the critical connections and conclusions from a complex subject matter. I want to provide my students with the tools and materials to get there, but they are responsible for constructing the apparatus for knowledge and comprehension. By taking the role of a “manager” and defining core goals, achievement hinges on the classroom’s “workers” (students). This nurtures and demonstrates the utility of skills and knowledge that students will need in the real world, regardless of what they decide to pursue after high school. A key component of this goal is cooperative learning, which not only teaches social skills and the importance of working in a group but also challenges subconscious decisions based on status and marginalization. This will result in both a “team spirit” mentality and the development of essential life skills that challenge the status quo, speaking truth to power. “Doing less,” and putting the onus of success on the students, is “doing more.”

The second principle echoes the simplicity of the first: approaching objectives with a “rough draft” mentality. Technology has given us the ability to better self-edit; if a mistake is made, or the latest addition to a paragraph is no good, the quick key combination of “control + z” on our computers makes it all go away. While this principle connotes technology — the keystone of the 21st-century classroom that allows for self-experience and breaks from a strictly traditional, empirical path to comprehension — in this instance, it translates to forgiveness — a core element to any prosperous relationship. Students will make mistakes, but in allowing them an opportunity to undo those mistakes and make revisions when necessary, we can create progress and end the spiral that results in misunderstanding and misinformation. Forgiveness isn’t exclusive to punitive measures. By encouraging mistakes, we’re inculcating “outside the box” thinking and cultivating innovation. The ability to undo and “try, try again” establishes that while there is, in fact, an expected outcome or a “right” answer, there is some wiggle-room, bolstering student creativity and the feeling that they have a role and power in their environment. Forgiveness also results in greater accountability, explaining how or why they reached a certain conclusion, which can better inform our understanding of the students’ path of knowledge.

Coming from “Corporate America,” I’m aware of how vital it is to create and maintain a strong manager-worker relationship. That rapport is grounded in forgiveness, compassion, accountability, and, most importantly, trust. These concepts aren’t theoretical or conceptual. In practice, they have guided me in my experience and were largely responsible for my achievements in the field. As I mentioned, they are not a career- or position-specific. They are life lessons. Incorporating these elements into the classroom while nurturing the teacher-student relationship (highlighting the real-world application) can do nothing but benefit the students who will one day enter the workforce. The skills we teach students must have a purpose beyond the realization of facts. We must embody discovery and the Kant imperative to “Dare to know!” As a teacher, I will belong to America’s core institution and will approach that responsibility with the deserved reverence by creating a low-touch, teacher-defined, and student-led regimen built on independent and critical thinking, empowerment, and forgiveness.

Formerly worked in media as a Visual Journalist, translating and summarizing big abstract ideas into easily digestible materials and information. Currently studying to recieve on a Masters in Secondar

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Formerly worked in media as a Visual Journalist, translating and summarizing big abstract ideas into easily digestible materials and information. Currently studying to recieve on a Masters in Secondar

Lesson location

About Jacob

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

online

Similar History tutors in Chicago

Grant

Javara

Chithil

Cynthia

Alex Hartman

Michael

Tim

Alliah

Rob

David

Brooke

Oberon

Andy

Billy

Jay

Liezl

Hasan

Hollee

Hannah

Victor

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