Personal Description:

I have an Independent School Teaching Certificate. I have also completed an MA in Interdisciplinary Humanities (English, History, Philosophy) and a BA in English with a minor in Business.
The writings of Maya Angelou, C. S. Lewis, and Brene Brown mean a lot to my heart.

Tutoring Experience:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Special Education Assistant, Heritage Christian Online School, 2018
• Encouraged critical thinking and explained (and demonstrated) how to write and communicate clearly and simply.
• Taught high school algebra and applied mathematics.
• Fostered a safe, yet constructive, atmosphere for reading aloud.

Tutor, Abby Tutors, 2017
• Empowered ESL and ELL students to write with more clarity and read with more
comprehension.

Sampler, Fission Uranium Corporation, Summers 2011-13 & 2015-16
• Collaborated with employees ranging from business executives to labourers.
• Assisted geologists in their analyses.
• Showcased exploration sites to current and prospective investors.
Research Assistant, Dr. Jens Zimmermann (T.W.U.), February to June 2015
• Conducted research regarding hermeneutics and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
• Transcribed lectures given by Dr. Zimmermann and novelist Marilynne Robinson.

Head Cook, Ark Kids Camp, Summer 2014
• Led a team of six high school students to prepare meals efficiently and effectively.
• Prepared meals for over 100 youth three times a day.

Public Relations Intern, Fission Energy Corp… Summer 2012
• Represented the company in Saskatchewan and New York.
• Helped executives prepare for meetings.

Youth Intern, Willow Park Church, July 2010 to August 2011
• Entered into relationship with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Planned and hosted events that included as many as 1,500 people.

Administrative Assistant, Fission Energy Corp… Fall 2010
• Helped maintain a record of company costs.
• Organized copious amounts of data.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Grade 7 Boys Basketball Coach, North Langley Basketball Association, Fall 2019 to Present
• Teaching the basics of basketball.
• Encouraging a culture of respect and enjoyment.

Grade 6/7 Girls Basketball Coach, Topham Elementary School, January to March 2019
• Aspired to foster an atmosphere of peace and passion.
• Coaxed players into trying new ways of seeing and playing the game.
• Collaborated with a co-coach to develop and implement strategies.

Addiction Rehabilitation Assistant, St. Stephen’s Society, July 2018
• Helped recovering drug and alcohol addicts in their journeys towards healing, restoration, and maturation.
• Connected with men and women through relationship.
Guest Instructor, Kelowna Christian School, June 2016 & 2017
• Showed students basic techniques for writing effective argumentative essays.

Invited Vetter, [spaces] Literary Journal, November 2016
• Scoured through many creative works and evaluated their form and content.

Head Goaltender Coach, YWAM Hockey Camps, Summers 2007-10 & 2012
• Taught children and youth the fundamental principles of goaltending.
• Focused on developing children’s and youth’s hockey and life skills.
• Developed and implemented daily practice plans.
• Adapted curriculum to meet individuals’ needs within designated time frames.

Camp Counselor, Ark Kids Camp, Summer 2010-11
• Encouraged campers to see and recognize their own personal value.
• Sought to provide them with a fun and uplifting experience.

Tutoring Approach:

I see learning as a journey of discovery on which I am, hopefully, a sort of guide.

TESTIMONIALS
“I have known Josh for his entire life… Josh is a bright, empathetic, hard-working and amiable young man. [Recently] he addressed my English 12 class for a double block session. His topic was on writing essays. It had been a couple of years since I had much interaction with him. To say I was pleased by his presentation is an understatement. Josh was able to communicate in his own gentle style ways to write an essay that resonated with the class. In fact, I learned from him. One of Josh’s greatest strengths is his ability to put the other person at ease… As a professional educator for the past thirty four years, I have observed a great many people who are also educators. It is my strong opinion that Josh possesses all the attributes of a strong, effective teacher. There is no doubt in my mind that Josh is a gifted young man who will become a great educator. I give Josh my highest recommendation.” (Dwayne Schulz, Teacher)

“I know Joshua in a professional capacity. I worked with him as an academic coach during his postgraduate studies. Further to this, Joshua has also been a member of my tutoring agency with a view to working as an online English teacher.
What is most impressive about Joshua is his true desire for understanding. He challenges himself to master subjects and to truly understand the material. What’s more, he is an excellent communicator. It was this combination that led me to offer him a position within my tutoring agency while working with him. His academic background gives him an extraordinary breadth of knowledge. Furthermore, his experience in the world of sports and coaching has given him a wonderful range of reference points. He has the ability to connect with a wide range of students and form truly empathetic connections. Most crucially, Joshua knows from his own high school tribulations what it is like to struggle with learning--to overcome this and to be a first-rate postgraduate student shows that he has the metacognitive skill set to teach students of all abilities. Throughout all of this, Joshua brings an exemplary attitude and a positive outlook and mindset; this is a man who loves learning (and teaching).
From a more prosaic perspective, Joshua is exceptionally hardworking, diligent, and conscientious. He meets his (self-imposed) deadlines, he is punctual for all of our meetings, and he manages his workload admirably.
Joshua has the empathetic, interpersonal, and academic skills to be a first-rate educator.” (Andy, Founder and Owner of an American Tutoring Company)

“I have known Mr. for approximately three years… I taught him a graduate course and guided him through [graduate school]. I have not seen Mr. working directly with youth (though I know he has done so in other contexts), so I will speak to those experiences and characteristics that make him suitable for the teaching profession.
During his time at university, Mr. participated in a number of teaching or educational activities. He was invited … to present a talk for the Inklings Institute of Canada … I was at this event and was struck by how professional, articulate, and engaged he was as a lecturer. Because of his skill at teaching, he was also invited to give a grammar lecture to [a] first year English class and a lecture on C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy as well as a collaborative lecture on J. R. R. Tolkien's works to [a] fourth year [Humanities] class.
Mr. is a very well organized and responsible young man and would have no trouble acquiring and organizing instructional materials. He is passionate about learning and sensitive to those for whom learning can be difficult (who might be ‘differently abled’ in some way). Therefore, he would be especially strong working with children for whom learning might be challenging. He is very interested in the theory of teaching writing in particular and has researched and written in this area. I would imagine, therefore, that this would be a strong area of instruction for him.
Mr. has shown himself to be an insightful, self-driven, creative, respectful, responsible, and reliable individual who understands not only the importance of learning but of how ideas are taught. He wants to instill in young people the joy and understanding that comes with awakening minds to the beauty and power of language and ideas. I believe that his own
passion for learning will translate well into the classroom should he have the opportunity to teach.” (Holly, Professor)