Penny Spruce

I am interested in tutoring in English after graduating with a first-class degree. I have classroom experience from S1 - S6 and up to National 5 level. And I am a volunteer tutor with VTO who help disadvantaged children in Glasgow achieve exam success. In addition, I have experience mentoring new writers, and helping drama students develop scripts.

I can offer different styles of lessons, depending on preference. I find discussing sticking points with students can be very useful as it encourages them to work towards finding their own answers via one-to-one discussion. I can also prepare lesson plans, which can be especially useful for younger or less able students, providing given tasks to guide them through their learning while building essay writing, grammar and spelling skills.

I will encourage closer reading of the literary texts they are studying, helping the student understand how style and theme are connected, and gain confidence when using academic language to describe both content and effect.

I encourage students to trust their personal impressions as well as engaging with respected academics.

After obtaining a list of the set texts being studied at school, and any skills the student wishes to improve upon, I will tailor each lesson to that individual student's needs. I believe the ideal style of lessons should reflect the interests of the student, celebrate and build on their strengths, and teach new skills that will allow them to excel if they transition to further or higher education.

The first part of each lesson will be dedicated to consolidating skills learned previously. New skills and ideas will then be introduced, and the student will be invited to think about those between lessons. Presentation will be a mixture of verbal, written, and visual unless the student shows a clear preference for a single learning style; if this is the case, future lessons will be structured to accommodate them.

Although my teaching experience has been focused on Scottish qualifications, I can transfer those skills to include GCSEs and A'Levels if required.