A passionate historian and educator, Zaid has taught at the University of Redlands and brings extensive expertise in preparing students for a broad range of AP exams, particularly history and social science subjects. Zaid's teaching approach emphasizes historical context, critical analysis, and the ability to connect complex ideas rather than simply memorizing facts and dates. By tailoring his instruction to each student's learning style, he helps students strengthen their analytical writing, develop compelling arguments, and approach challenging material with confidence. His goal is to foster intellectual curiosity while equipping students with the skills to become independent, thoughtful learners.
Zaid also knows that no two students learn exactly the same way. Some need more structure, some need someone to slow things down, and some need to be pushed a little harder. He tries to meet students where they are while still keeping expectations high. At the end of the day, his goal is for students to become more confident and independent. A great score matters, of course, but it is even better when a student reaches the point where they can work through a difficult question, defend an argument, or solve a problem without needing someone to walk them through every step.
- As an adjunct instructor at the University of Redlands, Zaid designed and taught a university course exploring the rise of American capitalism, industrialization, and the transformation of the U.S. economy.
- Zaid’s historical research ranges from medieval Iberia and Christian-Muslim relations to broader questions of economic change, and his work on religious authority among Iberian Muslims was published in UCLA’s Comitatus journal.
- Zaid’s name is pronounced “Zaad,” from an Urdu word meaning “provisions for a journey," a meaning he has always found fitting for someone who ended up becoming an educator.
- His interests have taken him from medieval manuscripts and museum work to digital mapping, college classrooms, and healthcare—which makes his career path a little difficult to explain in one sentence.
- Zaid researches medieval Iberia for a living, but he is just as happy debating the history and politics of Middle-Earth, the Star Wars galaxy, or whatever fictional world has pulled him in that week.
