Sophia

I am a qualified teacher, a passionate linguist and have taught languages in a variety of contexts since my early twenties. They help us to understand life, other perspectives, and can provide experiences that broaden any young person's horizons and career opportunities. I have a deep understanding of linguistics and grammar as I have studied languages to a Masters level. I love encouraging students to be curious and independent in their learning and to persuade them of the many advantages of languages - if the access to new cultures, holidays and jobs doesn't appeal, maybe the cognitive benefits will!

It's very important for me to make a difference in society, so I have always been drawn to teaching and love the feeling of helping others to reach their full potential. I have a very positive, can-do approach to lessons and I have all the patience in the world to allow people to grow and develop at their own pace. I am also very organised, I have great time management skills and will be a reliable source of support. Above all, I want to make learning a fun and joyful experience so that students feel comfortable, confident and committed to developing their skills.

Tutoring Experience

I am a qualified teacher (QTS, PGCE - Distinction) and have taught at Academies in South Yorkshire. In this time I helped my GCSE students to revise and prepare for GCSE Spanish and French exams, coordinated speaking exams and planned several bespoke lessons to help bridge gaps in my classes' attainment. As such, I have a great knowledge of the AQA GCSE framework for both Spanish and French, a fantastic bank of revision tips and a proven record of helping students to achieve target grades. This included creating revision booklets and countless materials, running drop in sessions and keeping in touch with local families, an element of the job that I really enjoyed. I also taught many children at KS3 and brought languages to life with a mixture of adapted authentic materials like music, film and literature.

Before this, I was an Academic Mentor in a Primary School and helped KS1 and KS2 pupils to catch up with Maths after the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would be happy to assist primary aged children with Maths again.

I have worked with children with a variety of complex needs in both a primary and secondary setting and would love to figure out an approach that works best for you.

Tutoring Approach

Each learner is unique and brings their own strengths and areas for development, so I prefer to assess individuals and then offer a bespoke series of lessons to work towards a specific and measurable goal, like passing an exam or improving a particular skill. Equally, if you would just like some general support or a couple of booster sessions, that can be arranged too.

I believe it is important to include a good balance of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening across a series of lessons to ensure a holistic approach. For me, learning is inherently fun and I love to create engaging lessons that break difficult concepts down into smaller steps with plenty of time for practice along the way. So, if I can connect a topic to another subject, or a cultural reference, I will do so to make lessons easier to understand, more interesting, and connected to real life. A lot of students are quite anxious about languages and feel the need to be perfect before they say or write anything, so I love to develop a good rapport with pupils and encourage mistakes. They are a normal part of life, and they will help me to see what kind of help is best for you.

If you have questions about anything at all, please do not hesitate to get in touch as I would be more than happy to help!