Not only do I have a degree in Philosophy, but I have taught grammar, writing, and reading on the SAT and ACT for years, and have taught writing privately to students. My background in philosophy allows me to bring an unusual breadth and depth to the subject.

What matters is not so much my credentials (which, yes!, I have, as you can see in my profile bio), but the success of my students. Those successes -- real, not just on paper -- are my real credentials. Here are some:

“I wanted to let you know that Emily got a 33 on her most recent ACT. She was beyond happy. Her college list just expanded. She is being recruited by some schools, so she has a number of options, which makes this fun but challenging. She had a 29, so she’s gone to a 30 and then a 33. On her recent ACT, she was up 2 points in English and Science, 1 point in Reading, and 5 points in Mathematics: from a 30 to a 35. We appreciate all of your help.” —John M, father of high school student

“Thank you again for your efforts and wonderful tutoring for both the SAT and ACT prep classes. I think the benefits reach far beyond good scores on standardized tests. I believe the skills you teach and emphasize have a tremendous impact on our kiddos critical thinking as well. You are greatly appreciated by our family!” —Michelle F, mother of homeschool high school student

“Michael provokes and encourages logical, rational thinking that you will use beyond your time with him. He helped me develop critical thinking that immensely benefited me. He will teach you how to deconstruct complex problems and come to a decision yourself.” —Jacob L

“This was a great introduction to sentence diagramming for my son. Mr Gold provided a lot of great resources as follow up to this class. Very helpful!” –Jenni C., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 17 Aug 2020

“Well organized and patient teacher. Teacher works hard to engage all students. This a great class! Not many schools are teaching this anymore. Great skill to have.” 
–Margaret S., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 20 Mar 2020

“Great class! My 12 year old learned a lot!”
–Margaret S., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 2,” 20 Mar 2020

“Excellent! An important skill for kids to have.”
–Margaret S., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 2.5,” 24 Mar 2020

“Very helpful class!”
–Margaret S., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 3,” 23 Mar 2020

“Lively discussion of words. Great review of basic concepts before delving into diagramming.” –Kendra W., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 28 Mar 2020

“My son (14) took two pages of notes and seemed to learn grammar faster in the session than I could have possibly taught him myself! Probably because it’s easier to listen to someone (anyone, really) who isn’t your parent. Mr. Gold was engaging and informative, and sent not only one follow-up email (a TY to attendees, with some encouragement and advice) but two follow-up emails (the second had two pages of additional work students could do to practice diagramming sentences). I’d say anyone could benefit from this class; I know my son did because I’ve seen little in his notebooks/binders over the years from school covering grammar/parts of speech, with the exception of Spanish class.” –Amy H., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 24 Jul 2020

“My 11th grade son had never learned or heard of sentence diagramming before, and – having always felt that it was one of the most useful skills I learned in school for professional/business writing – I wanted to make sure he at least learned the basic concept. Mr. Gold was kind enough to schedule a new one-hour class, and my son enjoyed it. He thought Mr. Gold did a great job of explaining the concept and helping the students through a few practice runs. If we have time during our homeschool semester, I would love to sign my son up for the longer version of this class.” –Jennifer S., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 22 Feb 2021

“My child like the class and teacher and did not complain about attending which is not the usually for my teenager. Would recommend.” –Leslie B., parent, “Sentence Diagramming Grammar Camp, Session 1,” 8 Jan 2021

“This was a great refresher class for my 15-year old teenager and a good beginner lesson for my 12-year old. Mr. Gold was very engaging — always interacting with the class, asking lots of questions to help the students participate and hold their interest. I found myself (Mom) really enjoying it as well, as I listened nearby! When the 50-minute class came to the end, he said that he needed to finish covering a few more basics and offered to continue for those who could stay another 15/20 minutes. We did and really learned a lot from his class! Looking forward to Level 2!!” –Melanie K., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 28 Feb 2020

“My kids enjoyed his teaching.” –Wendy F., parent, “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 31 March 2020

“My daughter’s learning experience with Mr. Gold was excellent. The class was very interactive and informative. There were class note summaries and practices provided by Mr. Gold after each class. To learn about the techniques of sentence diagramming would help kids better read and write. My daughter benefited a lot from this class. Highly recommended.” –Li S., parent, “Sentence Diagramming Grammar Class, Session 1,” 16 Dec 2020