Jennifer D.

Private tutor in Glasgow, United Kingdom

Education

PGDE with Distinction from the University of Strathclyde (2008) MPHIL (Masters) with Merit from Glasgow University (2005) MA Joint Honours (2.1) from Glasgow University (2004)

Experience

I am currently employed as a lecturer lecture part time at a further education college in Glasgow. I am a passionate and dedicated individual who is committed to supporting students achieve their future goals. I believe that education should be an enjoyable experience and all students should find the experience not only supportive and educationally valid but also interesting. Since graduating in 2008 from the University of Strathclyde, I have been taught in various secondary schools in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. I have a vast amount of experience teaching to all levels, including Advanced Higher and Higher, as well as younger levels such as Intermediate and Standard Grade. I will also be involved with delivering the new National 4 and 5 courses which will be implemented in Scottish schools from August 2012. I have worked as a Private Tutor for the last 3 years, supporting numerous young people of all abilities, achieve an excellent grade in History or English. Finally, I am a SQA marker for Advanced Higher, Higher course work and Intermediate 2 and have been involved in writing questions for the new CFE qualifications. I therefore have an excellent understanding of the Scottish Examination system.

Subject Expertise

English, History, Political Science, Sociology

Availability

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

Can Meet

Up to 20 minutes away for no additional charge

Hobbies

When I first meet a student, I like to establish first all what are the main areas of concern, for the student and the parent e.g. are they academical (struggling to understand content) or are the issues more exam based e.g. essay writing techniques, issues regarding sources, close reading, dissertations etc or as in many cases, issues with both. Once the main issues are identified, I spend some time with the student, working out what their targets are, what do they hope to gain from tuition and finally what they believe I can do to help them e.g. the student's individual learning style or particular exam revision. Finally, I usually like to speak to the student's parents, perhaps discuss prior progress and find out what their teacher has said about their child's progress. Tutoring sessions usually last an hour; during this time, I spend time doing several things 1) looking over what the student has been learning at school (revising content and making sure the student truly understands what has been taught) 2) support a child with homework assignments set by their teacher and 3) exam prep - discuss essay writing, how to tackle sources, timing, how to directly answer essay questions by identifying what is specifically being asked etc. Finally, I always share my sessions with the parent's and importantly always include the student in the lessons; I ask them what did they find useful? What do they want me to help them with in future? I have found that this approach has worked very well with students as it engages their interest, takes on board their personal concerns and provides a one to one support which they may not be able to receive in the classroom. I am committed, reliable, patient, empathetic individual who is committed to supporting students achieve the best that they can in their education. In my spare time I enjoy reading, listening to music, watching films, swimming, dance, walking, painting, drawing and socialising.