Elisha

I am a qualified English teacher with a particular passion for Literature.

I gained my First Class BA (Hons.) Degree in English Literature from York St. John University in 2018. At my graduation ceremony, I was awarded the BA (Hons.) English Literature Programme Prize for the highest overall mark on my course, as well as the School of Humanities, Religion, and Philosophy Prize for the highest mark in my academic department. During my time at York St. John, I studied literature from Shakespeare to the present day, with particular focus on the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries and on American Literature specifically. I therefore have a good knowledge base which enables me to deliver content on most of the texts taught at GCSE and A Level.

I also have a Masters Degree in English Literature from the University of Sheffield (awarded in 2020) and aim to go on into PhD study, where my focus will be twentieth century American poetry.

In September 2020, I started training to be a secondary school English teacher with Yorkshire Wolds Teacher Training. This was a school-based training route, so I spent the majority of my training year on placement in local schools whilst one day of every week went on mandatory online training sessions and PGCE work. Through YWTT, I gained a PGCE qualification from Sheffield Hallam University (grade Distinction) and was awarded Qualified Teacher Status in July 2021. I spent the following two years as a full-time English teacher in Hull.

I currently do not drive, but am willing to travel to students on a public transport route.

Tutoring Experience

I have two years of previous tutoring experience delivering the OCR A Level specification. I therefore have good understanding of the OCR specification, assessment objectives, and exam texts, having covered writers including George Orwell, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Ian McEwan across all three aspects of the A Level qualification. One student's English Literature grade improved from a C to an A under my tuition.

I also have some experience of delivering content on the AQA English Literature specification (specifically English Literature B: Aspects of Comedy/Tragedy and Crime Writing/Social Protest Writing) from my teacher training year, particularly Shakespeare content.

From my work as a classroom teacher, I am also knowledgeable on the AQA English Literature and English Language GCSE courses and able to tutor students on both of these, though my preference is English Literature.

Tutoring Approach

At A Level, my aim is to provide students with deep and relevant understanding of their chosen texts using literary and historical contexts and analysing sections of text in close detail. I recommend and encourage further reading, particularly for exam components such as OCR's 'Comparative and Contextual Study', so that students have a broader understanding of how and why their texts were produced, and I teach them how to apply this knowledge to their answers with relevance and understanding. Fundamentals such as literary terminology and techniques are also essential to me, and I aim to have my students using these with confidence and accuracy in their exams. All my students are provided with knowledge of Assessment Objectives and marking criteria so that they are aware of what is expected of them and can focus their work in relevant areas. Finally, I place an emphasis on essay structure and writing skills, because I believe that these are the foundations for successful answers at A Level. Overall, my aim is to help students produce clear, accurate, and well-informed work which hits all relevant assessment criteria, giving students the best chance of success in exams.

At GCSE, my aim is to ensure familiarity with all set texts and to provide pupils with a bank of quotations they can reliably use. As above, pupil confidence with literary terminology (for English Language as much as Literature) is essential to me, as is making sure that they understand the context that texts were written in so that they don't miss vital AO3 marks.