Francisco

¡Hola! My name is Paco (short for Francisco). I have over 10 years experience of helping students of all ages and abilities achieve their goals. I love teaching Spanish because I help others, I promote my culture and the cultures of other Spanish-speaking countries, and I meet amazing people. I am from the beautiful city of Cordoba in Andalucia, Spain. I love tutoring because it gives me the opportunity to focus on each student's needs and build a stronger teacher-student rapport which makes learning more meaningful and fruitful for everyone. I am a qualified teacher and I am also a qualified videographer with experience working in documentaries and current affairs shows.

I offer online tuition to Y10 an Y11 students.

Tutoring Experience

I started teaching Spanish in 2013, but learning English as a foreign language was actually my first teaching experience since I self-taught myself. I was in my twenties and I came to London for a few months to learn the language. I did not have much money at the time, I worked and I could not afford evening lessons, so I would spend most of my free time studying on my own. I successfully learnt English to become a proficient speaker and the experience taught me a lot about the importance of having a consistent routine, knowledge of assessment criteria, clear achievable goals and deadlines.

I have taught 2000+ private lessons and I have helped learners to:
- improve their attitude and grades almost immediately.
- find the motivation to carry on learning beyond school level.
- build their confidence to speak Spanish with natives.
- use Spanish for work and leisure.
- discover a wealth of cultures via articles, books, music, films, theatre, food...

I worked as a secondary school teacher from 2020 to 2022, when I completed my PGCE and I got QTS. That experience gave me the opportunity to learn from great colleagues, a deeper and up-to-date understanding of the GCSE curriculum, the key challenges students face, and efficient, time-saving ways to make progress.

Currently, in addition to tutoring, I volunteer as a teacher for migrant women and I am working on a video series on how to prepare for GCSE Spanish exams.

Tutoring Approach

My approach is first to assess the needs and circumstances of the student, as they must guide the whole learning process. Students (and their parents) must understand clearly the goals they are aiming for as well as the starting point of the learning journey. Continuous assessment and checking progress towards the goals with the student are crucial for the student to remain focused and motivated.

Equally important is to ensure that I am the right tutor for the student. The first couple of sessions are designed for me, the student and the parents to check that their learning style and my teaching style are suitable. Building confidence is the keystone of my approach. Students find in me a patient and encouraging listener and I use praise and humour to help them see what is working well and what could be done better.

I use my own resources which I have developed by studying assessment criteria and curriculums. My lessons might include games, conversation, reading, watching videos, writing, listening... I may provide students with guidance and resources to continue learning on their own time. Luckily we have a wealth of books, films, websites, apps, podcasts... available for learning languages nowadays. If used wisely, students can make significant progress.

Please note the following:
1. The first session is free and you can expect a short session (30 minutes) where we will get to know each other and we will assess needs, set goals, deadlines...
2. Lessons need to be paid in full 48 hours in advance. Failure to pay on time could lead to missing your booked slot.
3. I require a minimum of 24 hours notice of cancellation or payment in full under all circumstances including sudden illness.
4. For lessons cancelled with enough notice, I will always offer an alternative session in the same week. If no alternative session is agreed, I will charge for the missed session. No refunds.