LoginChristopher - South Tottenham tutor
Information About Christopher:
Personal Description:
I have just graduated from Warwick University and about to start a MA in Russian and East European Literature and Culture at UCL. Though I will now be concentrating on Russian Literature I still hope to take the "Prison Writing" and "Hamlet and it's Afterlife" modules, the former of which includes a variety of Shakespeare plays (King Lear, Measure for Measure, Richard II) and the latter which intensively engages with the play and it's varied 'afterlife' in performance, criticism and adaptation. "Shakespeare and Selected Dramatists of his Time" was my favourite module throughout the three years I spent at Warwick University and I feel I have acquired a thorough understanding of the inner mechanics of his plays, of which I read over twenty.
Other modules that I have greatly enjoyed include "The European Novel", "European Theatre", "Romantic and Victorian Poetry", and "Seventeenth Century Literature and Culture". These are all to be found in the GCSE and A-Level syllabus, from the novels of Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy to the theatre of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, and also poetry from Donne through Blake and Tennyson.
After doing my masters I hope to enter the 'Teach First' programme in which I will teach in a challenging and deprived secondary school where there is a shortage of teachers. I benefited from a teacher in the scheme during my GCSE years and hope to emulate her ability to arouse enthusiasm and a love for English Literature.
In my spare time I like to play a variety of sports, including football, tennis and squash. I also recently ran the Great North Run for Spina Bifida UK and help raise money for Oxfam by being a voluntary steward at music festivals during the summer.
Teaching Experience:
As a recent graduate I have no official teaching experience, though I do intent to enter the "Teach First" scheme when I complete my master's degree. The most rewarding aspect of university for me was the seminar-based method of learning which relied on the students as individuals to lead and control discussion, effectively functioning as teachers for each other. I have frequently began seminars with enjoyable and successful presentations lasting between fifteen and thirty minutes as necessary and which have included handouts with full bibliography and the positive feedback subsequently received makes this 'teaching' extremely rewarding.
Tutoring Approach:
The approach I will take to tutoring will depend largely upon the tutee's preferences and ability. If the student is only beginning to read a Shakespearian play, for example, then the initial sessions will revolve around getting to grips with the difficult language and the often complex and, at first glance, boring plot. Later sessions will attempt to instil enthusiasm by looking at the characters of the play as real people and the occurrences of the play as real life. How far is King Lear to blame for his daughter's behaviour? What causes Hamlet's disjointed speech? These questions, and other like them, can be debated freely with the tutee in a relaxed conversational atmosphere in contrast to the schoolroom which, in my experience, consists solely of plodding through the play line by line. My tutors at university placed emphasis upon an interactive and multi-faceted approach to learning and we frequently watched DVDs of Shakespeare and other dramatists. I am fortunate to own the complete BBC Shakespeare plays and this will feature in my sessions; apart from providing a bit of respite it will also arouse questions regarding the director's choice of filming and portrayal of characters. The interactive approach will also include reading and discussing excerpts of critical essays which I found particularly illuminating in my own studies and which are appropriate to the tutee's level. I will also be happy to go through past exam papers and consult the tutee regarding assignments and coursework.
Subjects Taught:
Qualifications:
- BA English Literature 2:1 Warwick University
- A-Levels: English Literature - B; Geography - A; Business Studies - A
- GCSEs: English Literature - A*; English Language - A*; History - A*; Geography - A; Double Science - AA; Business Studies - A; Maths - B; I.C.T - C; French - C; Electronics - C
Further Information:
| Availability: | Weekends / Weekdays (all times) |
| Types of Tutoring: | Travels to you / Online |
| References Supplied? | Yes |
