Rebecca

I have a BA, MA and PhD in English. I am a published author, I have organised several conferences, and I have worked as an Assistant Editor on academic journals. I feel strongly this range of experience gives me a unique perspective on the subject.

I have worked as an English tutor since 2016. In my current role, I teach GCSE and Functional Skills English to students in Further Education at Bedford College. This tuition programme is designed specifically for those who have not gained an English qualification at school. This year, I have personally looked after 50 students, and I have the highest retention rate in my team. In November 2021, 12 of my 19 GCSE students passed their English resit. Prior to this, I worked as a private English tutor. I taught Key Stage 2 through to 5, and I had to adapt my teaching style to accommodate students of different ages and abilities. I found I was well suited to building interpersonal relationships with young people, and I learnt how to diagnose gaps in student knowledge. All my students received Grade 5 and above, and several of them exceeded their predicted grades. Whilst conducting my research, I worked as a Seminar Tutor and Assistant Lecturer at Cardiff University, fulfilling all the requirements for an Associate Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy. I am a dynamic, conscientious, and versatile English tutor, and I particularly excel in one-to-one and small-scale settings. I am incredibly sensitive to student needs: I know how to address gaps in learning, build confidence, and bring out the very best in people from all walks of life. In my teaching career, I have repeatedly demonstrated the ability to communicate new and complex information in an effective and engaging way. I have consistently received excellent feedback in all my teaching roles: in the feedback forms from university and college students, from senior staff at Cardiff and Bedford, and from the parents of my private students.