Isabel

Hi, my name is Izzy. I have six years of secondary English teaching experience. I'm a South West native who recently returned to the area, as the call of the sea was simply too much to resist.

In addition to my passion for English Literature, I am also a seasoned traveler, having taught English in Colombia and recently taken on seasonal work supporting cruise ships as they travel around the Norwegian Fjords. In my spare time I enjoy cooking Japanese food and writing poetry.

Tutoring Experience

I gained my PGDE in Education and Leadership through the TeachFirst leadership development programme in 2020. I have five years of full time classroom experience as an English teacher, in addition to one year of full time tuition experience. I primarily work with secondary aged students, helping them to develop exam technique and hone their understanding of figurative language. I have experience leading a Key Stage Three English curriculum and creating and implementing assessments.

I have extensive experience of working 1:1 with students who are autistic, highly anxious and/or germphobic. I have taught said students both in their homes and in 1:1 alternative provisions within schools. Additionally, in the past I have created and lead schoolwide LGBT+ societies in order to give marginalised children a safe space. I have also coached students through the college application and interview process.

In addition to this, I have some experience of teaching English as a foreign language, both in the UK and in South America.

Tutoring Approach

It is impossible to teach a child without first laying the groundwork for a strong working relationship. In a post pandemic world, many students I work with are highly anxious or disengaged from the school system; I seek to relate to these students on an individual level, focusing on building confidence and ascertaining 'where they are at' in the first session and planning subsequent lessons from there.

I do my best to link lessons to a student's interests, which has lead to a lot of interesting work involving subjects such as true crime, ghost stories and social justice! I love learning about new topics through my students.

I adopt a personalised approach to each and every student, seeking to inspire a love of the written word whilst preparing them for real world application of their skills, such as CVs, personal statements, job interviews and letter writing. I believe that by grounding the teaching of English within 'real world' scenarios and contexts, I am able to demystify the 'what and why' behind the study of English.

Finally, I provide question by question exam guides and markschemes in 'student friendly' language in order to make exams less intimidating. Once a student understands exactly what skills and knowledge a question asks of them, they are well placed to tackle that question.