Roderick

Hello! I am a first-class tutor in the arts and humanities, specialising in Philosophy and Religious Studies. I have over seven years of experience at a range of levels, with a consistent track-record of success tutoring and teaching for GCSE, A Level and University level (undergraduate and postgraduate). With my help, students have obtained places at some of the UK’s top universities (e.g. LSE, Durham, KCL) or been able to obtain better grades whilst studying at these universities (e.g. Oxford, KCL). Outside of tutoring work, I am an academic in my own right. I have recently been awarded a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Sheffield on the subject of Søren Kierkegaard and Theodor Adorno. Alongside this, I am also in the process of creating an educational programme for schools in conjunction with the Las Casas Institute, based at the University of Oxford.

Tutoring Experience

I have over seven years of experience teaching within different institutional settings, as well as tutoring in a private capacity. My teaching and tutoring experience is extremely versatile. I have worked with primary aged children as a youth centre residential retreat leader and sports coach; teenagers as a teacher in a secondary school; and young adults as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Sheffield. This range means that I am well placed to cater and respond to each student’s specific needs and abilities, adjusting where appropriate. Moreover, I am also able to harness a variety of different teaching styles and strategies to aid the learning process. In addition to this, I am also an examiner for AQA's Philosophy A Level.

I take great pride in my long-term track record of helping individuals achieve success. In examinations and coursework at GCSE, A Level, and university, my students consistently go on to achieve their desired result. In many cases, this has required them to gain three or four grades in the process. With my support, students have also obtained places at some of the UK’s top universities (e.g. LSE, Durham, KCL) or achieve better grades whilst studying at these universities (e.g. Oxford, KCL).

I have tutored the following subjects in the past: (GCSE), Philosophy and Ethics/Religion; English Literature; History; (A Level): Philosophy and Ethics/Religion; History; Politics; (University): Philosophy; Theology; Political Theory; English Literature/Comparative Literature; Critical Theory. This is not an exhaustive list; I am open to tutoring in any subject area which relates to the arts and humanities. Feel free to drop me a message and I will be happy to let you know if I can help.

Tutoring Approach

My teaching approach can be summarised as follows:
Passionate – The cornerstone of my teaching philosophy is passion. I am a lifelong lover of knowledge and learning. This is not just a job for me, but a vocation. Over the years, I have found that sharing my passion is a great tool in aiding and accelerating the learning process of students.

Friendly and approachable – For many students, one-to-one tuition can often appear a potentially daunting experience. I therefore aim to be as friendly and approachable as possible; in my tutorials there are no “stupid” questions. I endeavour to create an environment in which students feel that they can work with me to find solutions to their problems and, ultimately, achieve their goals.

Transparent – I aim to be as communicative and transparent as possible with both student and, where applicable, parent. This means that everyone should have clarity at all times in: 1) what the desired outcome of the tutoring process is (e.g. desired grade). 2) what is expected of the student and tutor in order to achieve the desired outcome. 3) how the student is progressing in achieving their desired outcome.

Focused on processes, in order to achieve results – I recognise that most often the main reason a student employs a tutor is in order to achieve an improvement in their grade. Accordingly, therefore, all of the content in my tutorials is therefore directed towards reaching (and ideally, surpassing) the desired grade. At the same time, however, I understand that results are only achieved by focusing on the processes. I therefore place a great emphasis in working on areas which require improvement through practice and repetition.