Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Question: Why are you doing this?

Answer: I love to teach, and I know the frustration — first, as a student and then as an educator — of feeling like you’ve learned more outside of school than in it. Those of us who’ve had that experience need to find each other.

Question: What makes you qualified to teach these things?

Answer: I have taught in private schools for seven years, and I’m currently in graduate school at Saint John’s College, learning from the best and most experienced educators in this Socratic seminar educational model. With that said, my entire mission at Après is to supplement what highly-qualified teachers are teaching in our schools, whether they be public, chartered, or private. There are a lot of great teachers out there, but it’s hardly controversial to say they work within constraints that often stymie the growth of students who ought to learn more.

Question: You said “gifted” students. What do you mean by that?

Answer: What I mean is gifted in these specific fields of study. I’m not terribly gifted in mathematics, so comparable programs that focus instead on math would be a poor fit for a student like me.

Question: But do I get any credit? Is this for a grade?

Answer: No, you won’t receive a grade and this is not a credit-granting institution.

Question: Can you help me with my homework?

Answer: No, but our work together will make doing your homework much less painful. Think of it like being on a extracurricular sports team and then breezing through your required physical education class.

Question: Do you assign homework?

Answer: Yes. For the French Language and Literature coursework, homework means reading assignments and vocabulary memorization. For the Humanities courses, all homework will consist of nothing more than reading great books, adding glosses and marginalia, and preparing to discuss them at the next meeting.

Question: When do classes start?

Answer: Classes begin July 2025.