US History nerd
John F.
High school
History isn't a list of dates — it's an argument about why things happened. Let's learn to argue well.
What we can work on
- US History
- World History
- Government & Civics
- Education
- Howard UniversityB.A. in History, M.A.T. in Secondary Education
- Hometown
- Richmond, Virginia
Learning with John
How we’ll work together
“Students hate history when it's a memory test and love it when it's an argument.”
I teach the argument. We read sources like detectives, build causation chains, and practice writing the kind of thesis that makes a grader sit up. If you can argue about the past, the dates take care of themselves.
A little background
John’s story
John grew up ten minutes from Civil War battlefields and got hooked on the gap between the markers' version of events and what the documents actually said. He taught high school history for four years, coached a national-qualifying debate team, and found that the debate kids learned history twice as fast — so he started teaching everyone that way.
What students say
621 ratings“Got a 5 on APUSH. The HIPP drills felt like overkill until the DBQ, when I realized I could read any document in about forty seconds.”
“He makes you predict what happens next before he tells you. I started actually remembering things because I'd argued about them first.”
“My daughter went from 'history is boring' to citing primary sources at the dinner table. Her essay scores caught up with her reading within two months.”
Before your first session
How does John run a US History session?
John adapts each US History session to the student's current assignment, exam, or goal.
Can this nerd remember past sessions?
Yes. Nerdy can save important notes, goals, preferences, and breakthroughs so future sessions can pick up with more context.
Can I get practice tests and study materials?
Yes. The session toolbox can generate practice tests, flashcards, diagrams, and study notes when they fit the lesson.