Introduction: Welcome! My name is Josh, and I am a certified secondary English teacher turned business owner, proudly operating under my one-man (for now) operational LLC, Next Generation English. My roles include both professional freelance writer/editor of which I am building on six years of professional experience, and language arts or reading and writing private tutor. I have my BA in English from University of Missouri in Columbia and am currently weeks away from my first year of Masters credit and my TEFL certification to teach English as a foreign language beyond the secondary level. I taught for five years in the classroom, tutored for ten including local colleges, and I have worked for publishers and managing editors - from poetry anthologies to literary magazines. I work closely with doctoral candidates, undergraduate students, professors, and creative writing instructors and students from institutions such as UCLA, the University of Houston, University of Texas, University of Missouri, University of Florida, Liberty University, and of course, Lone Star College right here in Houston. My method of teaching is built on years of instructional practice in Houston’s top districts, and the essential skill of building meaningful relationships with students and giving them choice and ownership of their own learning. I do not teach the same way I teach in the classroom, however. Otherwise, students wouldn’t need me one-on-one! Instead,I focus on a mix of proven learning skills and approaches and rigorous probing questioning strategies to push students (of any age) past the “I don’t know” phase they limit themselves to. Every student and adult has the ability to think critically, the skill which language arts is founded upon. They just need the right instructor asking the right questions, and eventually they will gain the confidence and ability to think through these processes themselves. Specifically, I teach 6th-12th grade, college, and adults in: reading comprehension (basic to advanced) and literary analysis/literary theory, writing/composition, and intensive, rigorous test preparation, both online through Zoom and in-person. Clients often find themselves “hooked” once they attend a session at my office. It allows for one to two students (or up to nine in a conference room for group ESL), a massive library of materials I’ve hand-picked and generate, all materials and supplies, tablets for students to use, activities for little ones while families wait, mints and healthy snacks to motivate student’s brains, and most importantly - a quiet, safe, and cozy space to stay as short (or as long!) as needed - even if just to study, and have an adult to ask questions every now and then. Located off Washington Ave in the arts district in a historical church building recently renovated into office space, it is a perfect environment for critical thinking and reflection. For editing/writing: My area of expertise is in both academic editing and copywriting as well as line editing for fiction and non-fiction, or content/substantive editing. I will guide you as much as you need along the way in terms of understanding the editing process, and you will have total agency and choice in all final decisions. My goal is to maintain an author's distinct voice and show them the power of their voice by illuminating it through appropriate adjustments to word choice and content while improving overall flow and rhythm or fluency at the level of the sentence, paragraph, and page. I also offer basic copyediting and proofreading as well as developmental, large-scale editing and manuscript reviews. I am currently an active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and the National Association of Independent Writers & Editors (NAIWE), as well as the National Freelancers Union. Overall, I believe in lifelong learning, and I love that I always learn something new from every client or student I work with. A bit of humor, lightheartedness, and building a meaningful (no matter how short-term) relationship is the key to any success.