Get Expert Academic Support: 20+ Years of Experience in Post-Secondary Education for Reading, Research and Writing with Dr. Duncanson-Hales

Find out more about Dr Christopher Duncanson-Hales

• 1. When and why did you develop an interest in your chosen field? *

  My area of expertise is extremely interdisciplinary. It began with an exposure trip to Jamaica when I was 15-years old. During this trip, I met a Rastafarian who, when I asked him to explain the Rastafari religion, replied with one word, "love." This experience has a profound impact on me. It drove me to learn about Rastafari, and about how people in the developing world resist poverty and injustice. My academic career beginning with my undergraduate studies in International Development through my graduate studies in systematic and postcolonial theology can all be traced to this initial question by a naive 15-year old.

• 2. What makes you passionate about your subject?

  My passion is not limited to philosophy and theology. I am passionate about learning and teaching in general. This may sound cliché, but for me, it is a cliché that is true. My passion for my subject begins with teaching myself, with learning as much as I can about my area of specialty. This passion to learn drives my passion to share what I've learned and how I've learned it. In this way, I share in my students passion for their learning. This is why I prefer to refer to students and teachers as 'scholars' who share a passion for learning.

• 3. What do you like about tutoring? What makes you a "Superprof"? *

  Tutoring gives me the opportunity to learn with a variety of students in a very personal way. In larger classes, I am not able to give students the individual attention that tutoring allows me to provide my students. There are not enough hours in the day to provide 30 + students with the type of one-on-one or small class teaching that I am able to provide as a Superprof. Tutoring gives me an opportunity to work with students from across the country in a variety of subject areas. I genuinely value the scholarly relationship that tutoring allows me to develop with these students.

• 4. Do you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  The teacher that most inspires me was my Dad. He is retired now, but taught math at a community college for 30-years. While math is not my subject, my Dad's philosophy of teaching has deeply impacted my own. At the core of our shared philosophy is a commitment to first meet students where they are and to second, help students meet and exceed their academic potential. I genuinely believe that every student is capable of academic success. Inspired by my Dad's pedagogy, I see my role as an educator as identifying students potential and giving them the confidence to reach and exceed this potential.

• 5. What are your keys to success?

  Curiosity, perseverance and confidence are the keys to my academic success. Curiosity, asking questions, seeking understanding, are the starting points. If you are not curious about the world, then it is difficult to sustain an interest in understanding the world.
  
  With a question whose answers most often leads to new questions, perseverance is the next key to my academic success. At times, I have struggled with my studies. For instance, I took time off during my undergraduate to discover whether university was the right path for me. What I discovered is that education is not a race to the finish line. While the PhD I earned is considered a 'terminal' degree, the education it represents has no end.
  
  Underpinning both these factors is the third key to my academic success, a humble confidence to recognize my own ignorance while I persevere in continuing to understand the questions my curiosity leads me to.