Information About Annekatrin - Shipston-on-stour teacher -

(24 reviews)

Personal Description:

Hello, I am Annekatrin and I am a friendly, experienced and qualified teacher. I am a native German, and have lived and taught in schools in the UK for over 18 years.

I am married with three children who are now grown up and have flown the nest.

Since 2011 I have been working as a private tutor, online and in person, helping students to improve their confidence and skills. Online teaching on Skype or Zoom is very effective, as the student saves on travelling time and can choose the most suitable tutor regardless of distance. I send lesson plans and materials for each lesson.

I adjust my tutoring to the needs of the individual pupil and try to bring out the best in each student. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to see students gain confidence and enthusiasm, improve their skills and achieve their goals. I create a relaxed and friendly learning environment, where students have a chance to learn and practise at their pace, but also realise their potential. I prepare most teaching materials myself.

Teaching Experience:

I have over 15 years teaching experience as an employed teacher. I have taught at secondary schools, in Further Education colleges and at home. I am particularly proud to say that all of my students have passed their GCSE and A-level exams with excellent results, securing places in Cambridge, York, Cardiff and Imperial College. One of the schools I worked at was rated "excellent" by Estyn. I also have experience of conducting A- level oral exams for different Education boards. Since 2016 i am teaching the new specification for AQA GCSE and A-level German.

I am also teaching Adult Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced German classes, German for Business, Travel and conversation classes in a relaxed and friendly environment, where students can gain confidence and trust in their language learning abilities without feeling pressured.

Teaching Approach:

Language tuition has been my passion for a long time and allows me to be supportive and creative, motivating pupils and believing in their abilities. One-to-one tuition is very productive, because it adapts to the individual learner's needs easily. My experience in schools and with exams has given me the knowledge of standards required for GCSE and A-level exams, and many pupils have commented on how much improvement they have seen in their school work, and in their confidence, as a result of our lessons. My aim is to make language learning enjoyable, and therefore I always encourage a warm and relaxed atmosphere for lessons. My lessons are structured, integrating all four language skills speaking, listening, reading and writing, and also include grammar, pronunciation, games, video clips, and lots of authentic material and cultural knowledge.

I adjust my tutoring to the needs of the individual pupil, and I try to bring the best out in each student. My experience in schools has given me the knowledge of the standards required at exams. I also have experience of harnessing individual learning styles and I love to make lessons fun with a variety of activities. Many pupils ask me to help them with the Individual Research Project at A-level, literature and film studies, e.g. "Good bye, Lenin! , "Andorra" , "Das Leben der Anderen" or "Der Vorleser", essay writing, preparation for the oral presentation and Speaking card practice snd listening and reading skills, or with grammar. Some pupils study a complete course with me. You can choose however many lessons you would like, and which particular topics or aspects of your course you would like to focus on.

I am enthusiastic about many areas of German history and contemporary subjects: film, music, theatre, cooking, politics, the DDR and life during the cold war and other interesting aspects. Whenever possible, I weave these topics into my lessons and classes, so that language learning is based on a wider understanding of the German speaking countries, their peoples and cultures.