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Information About Sarah:

Personal Description:

Since I was a small child I have loved reading. I am a magpie in my tastes, but I always come back to short stories, novels and poetry.
I have two teenage daughters, both at grammar school, and they tell me that English lessons in school are often lacking - they can seem boring, tick-boxy and formulaic. That saddens me because everyone has something to gain from reading, writing and expressing themselves orally as well as they can. You lose so much if you're put off young and believe, for whatever reason, that this subject is not for you.
Alongside my freelance work I am also a published writer of non-fiction and, recently, fiction. Writing is challenging and it helps keep me sharp as a teacher because I understand failure and the need to constantly learn and improve my skills. I am forever questioning word choices, asking what effect I am trying to achieve as well as exploring an individual word's significance and placement, or why a character just said what they did - the essence of English GCSEs, of course!
I went to Durham University to study English Literature and that opened the door to a world of writers from countries like Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand whose work I went on to explore. In my twenties while working in magazine journalism I ended up going back to university to study for a master's and staying to do a PhD, although I had never expected to! I had a good supervisor and felt passionately enough about my studies to support myself until I won a scholarship, so I know something about perseverance.

Teaching Experience:

I am versatile. I have taught in academia, in prison and online as a GCSE tutor, and worked as a copywriter and editor. I have taught Shakespeare, Critical Thinking, Feminist Writing and Canadian Literature to young adult and mature students in HE settings, such as the Universities of Leeds, Calgary (Canada) and Huddersfield, as well as Functional English Skills to challenging learners in Norwich Prison.
As an Editorial Contributor for Edelman UK, I drafted white papers and articles for corporate clients and put into action many of the skills I have taught students. So, I understand the relevance of my subject and how what you say and how you say it can impact the message, which in turn has ramifications for you and others.
For the past year, my work as an online tutor has meant engaging with the struggles of students including a young refugee, for whom English is a second language. It is a closer teaching relationship with individual needs at its heart and I enjoy trying to keep my students motivated and helping them build the confidence and skills to pass their English exams.

Tutoring Approach:

It doesn't matter what their level is or whether they like Dickens, I want all my students to do as well as possible and to understand what they can gain by engaging critically and creatively with someone else's writing.

Often students lack the skills needed to answer exam questions and write well under pressure. Developing these can take time and always entails getting to know the individual. Students don't necessarily lack basic comprehension but they are not always attuned to subtlety or to peeling back the layers in a text, nor do they always have much idea how to structure their thoughts and observations into a cogent, flowing argument.

I start by talking to my students and their parents (if they want to be involved), understanding what they see as their needs and developing a plan and learning sessions around these. If a student lacks organisational skills or basic essay vocabulary or an understanding of what the questions in an exam require from them, we will identify these before starting to practise.

Homework is never compulsory nor always necessary, but seeing how a student expresses themselves in writing is helpful to understand where they have problems. I encourage my students to finish writing tasks we have started in lessons and to send them to me for feedback. I also ask them to read every day for ten minutes something unrelated to their studies because it will help them.

My sessions are flexible. If a student comes to a lesson with something specific they want to dissect or need help with, we can focus on that. As exams approach, I help them practise writing answers to time and grade their responses. Seeing my students make progress and gain confidence is the most important thing. Much of the time they just need someone who will listen without judgment and provide tailored help, so they can overcome their challenges and believe in themselves.

Qualifications:

• PhD (Leeds University)
• MA English Literature (Leeds University)
• BA (Hons) English Literature (Durham University)
• A Levels: English Literature, French, History (A, A, B)

Further Information:

Availability:	Weekends / Weekdays (all times)
Types of Tutoring:	Online
References Supplied?	Yes
Current DBS/CRB Check?	Yes