Rachel Raymond

I have extensively studied various disciplines of psychology over 8 years, from my A-Levels to now being a Doctoral Researcher. As part of my PhD scholarship, I teach groups of undergraduate students planned seminars, practical sessions, and workshops, which include presenting and breaking down complex psychological phenomena, models, and theories. I encourage questions and embed open discussions into my teaching, as content alone is but one dimension of psychology. To truly understand psychology, one must be able to think critically about the research and content, drawing original and innovative appraisals.

I am eager to help students realise their potential and I thrive in educating people of all backgrounds on psychology. My passion for psychology shines through by the way I talk about it in everyday conversations, and in the process, I engage and captivate others by instilling a genuine interest in psychology. I believe the best way to learn is to love what you are learning about, which I aim to achieve with my students. This motivates students to become independent learners, to ask deeper critical questions, and complete extra reading and research out of interest, which helps to achieve First Class marks. Having written many first-class pieces of work, and marked several undergraduate student essays of varying levels, I am confident in my ability to provide valuable feedback and take students’ writing to the next level.

I practice patience and empathy when teaching, and am happy to have flexibility with lesson plans according to the student’s needs, understanding and questions. I would rather explain something in further depth for the benefit of the student, than to cover the content as quickly as possible. My organisation and planning skills would enable this flexibility, as I would adjust future lesson plans accordingly to stay on track.

I possess range of research experience, including primary and secondary, and quantitative and qualitative research. My academic endeavours of a Distinction in MSc Psychiatric research and additional advanced research method modules, qualifies me to tutor students in several statistical analyses in SPSS and meta-analyses in Review Manager. My work experience in clinical settings greatly expanded my knowledge in clinical psychology and mental health, which is now my subject of expertise. I learnt an incredible amount whilst working in clinical settings which reflected in my academic achievement. I wish to impart the knowledge I have gained through my various academic and work experience onto students, in a way that engages and captivates students as psychology does for myself.