Meet Josh Stamell of Ivywood Tutors

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Stamell.

Hi Josh, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I came to LA as an actor, like so many people, and found myself gradually sidetracked into the day job I created for myself. I had lived in Santa Monica briefly in 2001, sharing a room not far from the beach and surfing daily while working at the old Barnes & Nobles on the 3rd St. Promenade. So when my now-wife and I decided to move here after theatre grad school in Boston in 2009, we were drawn to my old neighborhood, the beach, ZJ’s, and the idea of sunny living, with some occasional June Gloom (the morning marine layer extending to Lincoln, and sometimes further, up to 26th St. or beyond)— of course these days the fog reaches out ever earlier in the season, to May Gray, Graypril, and sometimes even Grarch (the worst). In any case, though my lifestyle had certainly evolved since 2001, I again fell in love with LA, the west side, and our little rent-controlled house not far from Lincoln and Ocean Park. The day job, academic tutoring, proved more fulfilling than I had hoped, and expanded through word of mouth (the mom-network is a powerful thing), to become my primary focus from 2012, when I started Ivywood Tutors, through today.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Running a tutoring business and consistently tutoring for the last 13 years have given me ample challenges to overcome, and changes to negotiate. When I first started, the most significant concern was managing a drive across the 405 in the after-school hours, but with the pandemic and gradual move to primarily Zoom tutoring, I’ve experienced many of the challenges students have, through and alongside them. Right now, the use and over-use of AI is of significant concern to educators. We recognize the possibilities it has as a functional tool, but too often see students using it as a crutch, causing them to fall behind in the development and practice of skills they need to be self-reliant. My own take on a solution once again lines up with Ivywood Tutors’ underlying philosophy— we need to find ways to empower students to take satisfaction in their own growth and development, discover the joy of feeling capable and competent through engaging challenges, and their perspective on how to use AI will shift as well.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ivywood Tutors?
Helping students become independent, capable young adults by building academic tools that will serve them in any context is at the heart of Ivywood Tutors. Students build good habits, learn how to ask effective questions, organize and prioritize information, keep track of their own busy lives. If we focus on process, and help kids understand how buying in to their schoolwork provides tangible positives in their lives, then academic results follow. Of course we do this through helping them complete their daily assignments while building “executive function” habits like note-taking and scheduling. I specialize in Humanities and writing, from middle school all the way through college and beyond (including CV’s and interview prep, even help with a successful NSF research grant bid). For STEM subjects I work with fantastic tutors that share my philosophy on developing student capabilities and independence, and who are often accomplished in their own field. We all have a strong sense of integrity, humor, and the desire to help our students become the type of young adult we’d all love to have as a co-worker, manager, or friend. In the last couple years I’ve started doing more “Educational Consulting for Families” in which I work with a student and their parents to clarify goals and obligations, build transparency, and maintain a collaborative work relationship at home. I’ve seen many times that a positive and clearly defined home academic environment can really improve outcomes for students, and am excited to help more families meet today’s educational challenges together.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My wife Sheila is an incredible person, and we make a great team. We’re feeling very fortunate right now— we have an amazing two year-old girl who keeps us happily busy and often overextended. We are inspired by our family and friends, and we spend as much time with them as we can. I’m really inspired by the people I play music with, and the folks in my writing class. And I’m continually inspired by, and thankful for, the students I work with, who challenge me, make me laugh, and quite often give me hope for the future.

Pricing:

• $200/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ivywoodtutors.com
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Jessica Sherman