Information About Sive - Claremont tutor

Personal Description:

My name is Sive, and I am native English speaker from South Africa. I am also TEFL accredited. I have a fond passion for teaching English as I believe English is a universal language that has the power to bring people from different and diverse backgrounds together. 

 I am very patient, and I aim to always make sure my students understand lessons by tailoring the lessons to their needs through regular testing in the form of quizzes, puzzles, debates and even song and rhymes for my younger students.

I am cognizant of the difficulties that come with learning English as a foreign language, and this is why my classroom setting is a  non-judgmental safe space, where students are encouraged to go at their own pace, I welcome questions with enthusiasm because I believe that is one of the greatest methods of learning.

I am looking forward to embarking on this exciting journey with students of all ages, and from diverse backgrounds and promise to do my utmost to make this a fun learning experience for them.

Tutoring Experience:

I have a 120-hour online TEFL qualification. I have been teaching English online as a foreign language for over two years now, and have mastered a teaching style that caters to the developmental needs of each student that comes to my class. 

As an English teacher my responsibilities started with planning lessons, developing the
necessary materials and reporting back on progress and discussing methods of improvement with my students or their parents if they are minors… This experience gave me the opportunity to plan effectively and to think strategically about how materials can be used to help students grasp new concepts. I also designed
activities, such as mapping exercises and drawing, to help my students overcome language
barriers when trying to understand the English language. 

In this position as an EFL Teacher, I would seek to use my skills and experience to support
students to reach their highest potential. I could use my research skills to develop effective
materials for students and my written and verbal communication skills to convey messages in
a simple way. Having read the job description, I know this would be a role in which I would flourish and could
contribute significantly. 

Tutoring Approach:

My approach varies depending on the student’s needs and learning style. However my teaching philosophy is based on encouraging students to think for themselves, using real-world examples wherever possible. I start from topics the students are comfortable with and move gradually towards more complex areas as their confidence builds. I use questions and examples to check understanding continually. I don’t lecture to students or ask them to memorize things. Nor do I do the students’ homework for them!

I usually focus on exam-style or past paper questions in order to check, practice and perfect the student’s understanding and technique. I also give a lot of emphasis to some of the less obvious but vital skills such as essay structure and technique, logical thought.