PhD in English with experience teaching English Literature, Literacy skills, and Writing to students of all ages

My name is Eilis Smyth, and I recently completed my PhD in Shakespeare Studies at King’s College London. I previously completed an MA in Shakespeare Studies at The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, and a BA in English
and Philosophy at The University of Notre Dame. I currently work full time as a private tutor.

I have a passion for the humanities, and love helping my students explore and develop their own love for reading and writing.I have worked as a tutor in a variety of subjects for the past ten years. I have experience tutoring in a one-to-one
setting, as well as in a classroom or group context. I have taught students of all age ranges – from primary through to university level. My specialty is English literature, in which I teach students how to closely read and analyse texts, how
to structure essays effectively, and how to find their own critical voice no matter what their age or level. I am capable of teaching English to students of all ages, and have a great deal of experience successfully preparing students for exams.
I have also taught students in History (GCSE level), Philosophy, ESL, primary level maths, 11+, ISEB, and have coached students through the university interview and application process. I’m highly experienced using a variety of digital platforms, and have a strong bank of resources to pull from quickly and efficiently when working with students in an
online context. I worked for a year as an Americorps National Teaching Fellow in a sixth-grade English classroom, so have received pedagogical training for younger students, and taught for several years in the English department at King’s College London, where I taught undergraduate English, as well as led Shakespeare workshops for secondary
students across London.

As a tutor I meet students where they are and work with them towards reaching their full potential and top marks. It’s important to me that the student feels comfortable, engaged, and able to speak to me about any and all issues they might be having with the subject. My aim is always both to help develop a student’s mastery of a topic and to instil in the student the confidence necessary to find and embrace their own voice within an academic environment. My tuition is fluid and I am constantly adapting my lesson plans to best suit the educational needs and interests of the student.