Karen

I have a PhD in English and Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London. My specialisms include: English Literature, English Language, Creative Writing and Poetry. I have a BA in English (2.1) and a MA in Poetry (2.1) both received at Royal Holloway. I have also achieved a PGDE in Educational Leadership from the University of Warwick, and a PGCE at the University of Nottingham. My interests include contemporary art and poetry. I am a published poet who enjoys film, music, exploring cities and yoga.

Tutoring Experience

Since 2019 I have been teaching across undergraduate modules in the English department at Royal Holloway, University of Surrey, and the Art department at the University of Reading. Prior to this, I taught for 10 ten years in secondary and FE education. I began my career on the Teach First programme and have gone on to teach both GCSE and A-Level English Language and Literature as well as Functional Skills English. I have been involved in overseeing the running of courses at schools and colleges in my role as Deputy Head of English. Throughout this time, I have also privately tutored numerous students to help them prepare for entrance exams, school scholarships, GCSE, A-Level, undergraduate essays and portfolios. I have experience of teaching across the following exam boards: OCR, AQA, Edexcel, WJEC, Eduqas.

Tutoring Approach

I aim to inspire and motivate my students and instil in them a joy for literature, language and its connections to the world. I take a holistic approach to teaching by looking closely at the individual needs of my students and personalising my teaching to suit these needs. My aim is to minimise barriers to learning by differentiating the work I set. My lessons are interactive and engaging by drawing upon real-life scenarios and inspiration from film and music to support an inquiry-based approach to learning. I pitch tasks to suit all levels and provide enough stretch and challenge to ensure that my students reach their full potential. My teaching involves scaffolding learning with appropriate questioning, encouraging self-assessment, and always providing positive and constructive feedback.