James John Bryer
“I believe education should teach students how to think rather than what to think.”
James holds a History MA from UCL (University College London), a Politics MA by Research from Swansea University and a Politics & International Relations BA completed at the University of Reading.
James’ teaching journey began in Borneo, Malaysia, where he taught English for a kindergarten in a rural community in 2013. This experience ignited his passion for teaching, leading him to pursue a teaching career in China after gaining valuable experience in sales. His first teaching role in Nanjing, China in 2018 involved instructing English through an interactive, content-integrated curriculum, encompassing Drama, Music, Math, Science, and Geography subjects for young learners with limited English proficiency.
James also has experience teaching AP U.S. History at a reputable bilingual high school in Jinan, China. Despite the course’s difficulty, he found joy in the depth of conversation and discussion it encouraged. Unfortunately, the pandemic’s impact in 2020 prevented James from returning to China, leading him to offer online AP History tutoring worldwide. During these times, he saw significant growth in his private tutoring and online teaching at accredited American high schools. He now excels as an AP U.S. History expert and teaches various social science and humanities subjects remotely.
In James’s words
My teaching philosophy focuses on creating a sense of excitement for a subject within a safe environment. History, in particular, requires thinking critically and examining documents and sources within the appropriate context. Accordingly, teaching requires much more than simply presenting information. Teachers should engage a class by cultivating an environment of open discussion and debate. This is especially so for History, a subject that values novel insights and original thinking. Ultimately, I believe education should teach students how to think rather than what to think. These principles help guide my career as a teacher, academic mentor, and budding historian.
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