Francesca

School

Bishop Luffa School

University

University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Sussex

BA (Hons) English and History: First Class

MPhil Modern Middle Eastern Studies: Distinction

PhD English (current)

Teaching history

I have been tutoring an ESL student privately for the past three years. My student passed the Cambridge English C1 with flying colours and is now preparing to sit the Cambridge English C2 exam early. Prior to this, I was a tutor at Kit’s Tutors, an online tutoring agency based in Hong Kong. During my time there I had a total over 30 students, teaching 1-1, 1-2, and groups of 3. I helped students pass IELTS and TOEFL exams, and in a range of other areas including grammar, essay writing, debating, presenting, creative writing, and contemporary literature. Apart from helping students achieve their academic goals, I take pride in helping students improve their self-confidence.

·Teaching style and philosophy

I adopt a hybrid approach to tutoring, believing that a combination of different methods produces the highest levels of engagement. I am also a firm believer in personalised learning, with the view that the student should play an active role in deciding how the lessons are delivered. For example, some students might prefer independent learning, whereas others may require more input. Moreover, some students may like to begin each lesson with a quiz, whilst others might like an introductory lecture. In any case, my teaching style is highly collaborative, incorporating methods such as the flipped classroom, which allows students to exercise their creative agency and develop confidence in their ideas. I also use techniques like ‘scaffolding’ where I will give the student a prompt, or an essay format to follow for homework, to be reviewed in the next class. I believe that every student has the potential to succeed, and it is my job to support them in building the confidence and skills to do so.

Additional information

I am currently doing a PhD in English at the University of Cambridge where in the second term I assisted my supervisor in an undergraduate literature seminar. My role was to support students in group exercises, prompt them in their discussions, and answer questions that arose. In the second year of my PhD I am expected to teach my own undergraduate tutorials independently. I am able to teach online, with the possibility of teaching in London from September onwards.