Catherine

Lively, imaginative learning, step by step! I have a Double First in English Language and Literature from Oxford University, Qualified Teacher Status and 30 years' teaching experience.

I have an annually updated, Enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring) Certificate. I find teaching amazing because every student has their own unique way of looking at the world. Helping them to enjoy using words to communicate and to explore their own imaginations is a real joy. I know what examiners want, and I like to find creative, imaginative ways to help students provide it. English is an infinitely adaptable subject: one which allows a teacher to see what interests each student and create an enjoyable way for them to fulfil their potential.

Tutoring Experience

My teaching experience includes working full-time as a secondary-school English teacher and teaching as an English tutor both in person and online. I create and share my own teaching materials on the TES Resources platform. For nine years I wrote for the TES as an educational journalist. This has been invaluable, real-life preparation for teaching the non-fiction part of the course. For thirty years I have also written and performed my own songs. This has been excellent experience for the creative writing part of the course.

Tutoring Approach

Year 8 up to and including GCSE. Confidence is fundamental to learning anything, so I focus on boosting this with specific, honest praise. Enjoyable, rewarding work well suited to the student's interests makes progress come naturally. At the same time, tuition is a two-way street: if a child is not putting in the effort, it won't help them. My teaching style helps those who are already trying their best and need some extra inspiration and a boost of confidence!
PLEASE NOTE: The first lesson is free, but it only lasts for half an hour. This is because it is just a chance for your child to see if he or she likes my approach.
Visuals are helpful and fun: I use drawings and cartoons to explain ideas. I have the software to do this online. Feedback is given clearly, in a user-friendly, colour-coded way, e.g. green for good, red for wrong, purple for next steps!
English Language and Literature is not just about words: it's about people, and I teach in a way that reflects this, helping students to form a lifelong habit of reading and curiosity about the real world and the world of imagination. Exam practice is very important, of course, but in my view, it should not dominate lessons in the boring way that it does in some schools. That approach can kill interest in the subject. If this happens, it is hard to gain good grades. However, if students enjoy their work and feel encouraged by evidence of their own progress, then exam practice is a positive thing: it helps them to show what they can do!