PrepNow Tutor - Max H.
Chemist and teacher Maxwell is many things—all rooted in the pursuit of knowledge. He enjoys long-form video essays to expand his horizons. He loves bookstores and museums. And he is constantly trying to self-improve, by exercise, by reading, by learning. Max attended University of Texas at Dallas where he earned his bachelor's in chemistry and minored in secondary STEM education. He was part of the UTeach program at UTD to earn a teaching certificate concurrently with his degree; and he found that he enjoyed teaching far more than he expected.
After college, Max spent a year teaching high school chemistry before he was offered the chance to become an air traffic controller. He spent time learning to pilot an aircraft and as an air traffic control trainee. When he left ATC, Maxwell worked as a chemist.
In 2016, Max entered his first classroom. He has spent the intervening years teaching elementary and middle school science as well as high school chemistry and environmental science. His approach to teaching is based in critical and contextual thinking. The first step is to “have the student consider the context of the question, how and why it’s being asked, and on what level it is being asked.” From the answers to those questions, the student can find appropriate solutions.
Moreover, Max believes that the above “is a good way to approach problems in real life.” That is, “break down the context around the problems you have, what possible solutions could exist, and problems in life can be a lot more manageable.” He says that education, at its core, “isn’t about finding X, or if the curtains being blue means depression; rather it is about work ethic, ethics, understanding context and what is between the lines, and focus.”
As a high school student, Max was involved in academic decathlon and participated in band as an oboist. He was also a Boy Scout and spent two weeks on a trip through the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. These days he spends his time reading, cooking, and playing video games.
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