Michael MacInnes M.A.

Credentials: Masters of Arts in War and Society, Chapman University

I am a Bay Area native and happy to back in the area after going to University at Chapman
University in Orange, CA. I got my B.A. in History and my M.A. in War and Society both at
Chapman.

For as long as I can remember I have always been an avid lover of history, consuming books on
everything from the Golden Age of Piracy to the Inca to the Second World War at an early age. I also spent a great deal of time watching the History Channel back when it used to actually be
about history. I greatly enjoyed my history classes all throughout my primary and secondary
education and somehow fell even deeper in love with history at university.

I think many students yawn and role their eyes at history, believing it to be rote- full of
memorization of dates, places, and names. I hope to open students’ eyes to the real meat of
history, which is full of amazing stories. I believe in teaching history were analysis trumps
memorization, which in turn leads to conversations about where we all came from and how we
got to where we are.

In the past, I have taught Boy Scouts aged 10 to 18 everything from how to tie their shoes to
survival skills. I helped scouts since I was a young Boy Scout myself up into adulthood. As a
scout myself I knew how to get across the information in a way that stuck with them and how to
get the attention of a large group of young boys, learning that patience is key. In the more
academic realm as an undergraduate I helped to informally tutor my fellow students, particularly as an upperclassman. I assisted in helping them derive key information when sometimes the lecture only went over the broad strokes. Additionally, I aided students in the dos and don’ts of research and helping to edit their papers, especially theses. As a graduate student I assisted faculty in lectures helping to teach students in the often unknown area of African history.

As a former IEP student and someone with a lifelong passion for teaching, I am a firm believer
in the benefits of 1-on-1 and small group education. The mentor-pupil relationship is so beneficial because it
allows the mentor to tailor their tutoring style to what works best for the student and form a real bond that can go beyond just academics. I know how frustrating it can be when things in class were going just too quick for you or weren’t explained in a way that makes sense. teaching and tutoring allows the mentor and the student to figure out what works best together and produce a much better outcome.

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Beyond history I love music, video games, and the 49ers.