Laura S
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School,
GCSEs: 12 A*-B including A in Mathematics and English Language & Literature
A-Levels: A*A*B in History, Religious Studies and German
University of Southampton, BA (Hons) in German and History (Upper Second-Class Honours)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
English
Key Stage 1:
- Phonics and help with reading (1:1)
Key Stage 2:
- Writing and comprehension assistance
- Helping Year 6 prepare for SATs (Levels 5 and 6 - 6 equivalent to 11+)
History
Key Stage 1:
- Taught an entire lesson in Year 2 because the supply teacher was unable to engage them
Key Stage 4:
- As History prefect I often helped others in lessons (GCSEs)
EFL - classroom
B1 (GCSE-equivalent):
Building interest in English through mostly visual learning (videos, images, PowerPoints)
Conducted group activities: role playing, grammar games
B2 (AS-Level equivalent):
Developing a more enhanced interest in English through aural, verbal and visual learning
Activities included: speaking exercises, discussions about videos, listening to music
Worked virtually with this group during lockdown: mostly speaking and grammar practice
B2+ - C1 (A-Level/IB equivalent):
Lots of group and pair discussion about current affairs and complex concepts
Exam preparation towards the end: speaking (small groups and 1:1)
EFL - private tutoring
Helping with homework and assessed tasks
Preparing for end of year exams
Saw improvement in both students: particularly in speaking as this is what we mostly did
SKILLS AND INTERESTS
I am a strong and effective communicator, particularly excelling in presentations and simplifying complex concepts into concise language. I am also a great team player while also being able to take initiative. I am very driven and organised, with good time management skills. I am disciplined, willing to learn and very resilient as I have had to overcome numerous obstacles to get to where I am. I am ambitious and enjoy seeing progress, whether that is my own or from others. I will work extremely hard in any line of work to fulfil targets, as this is my diligent nature.
I am a native speaker of English but also proficient in German and educated in Spanish up to AS-Level. I also enjoy learning new languages as well as improving these. I love history, particularly Indian colonial and 20th century Britain, but have exposure to early modern, Tudor and other imperial periods. I am an avid photographer and I showcase my photos on my Instagram account with 4k followers, as well as the Facebook page I established during my time in Austria. I am a keen traveller and use my knowledge of history to seek out non-touristy areas to explore. I am passionate about de-stigmatising mental health issues, which are covered extensively on my Instagram as well as LGBTQ+ issues, politics and intersectional feminism. Lastly, I am a loyal football fan to Tottenham Hotspur.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Work experience with Barclays Legal
Work experience with Channel 4 Legal & Compliance
Blake Morgan LLP Summer Vacation Scheme
Campus Ambassador for Aspiring Solicitors
Language Assistant for the British Council / Bundesministerium Österreich
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Having been educated in an underachieving state school with fluctuation in teacher ability and engagement, I had to learn how to motivate myself and others quickly. This included teaching myself, particularly throughout GCSEs and A-Levels, as well as helping my friends. Through this, I recognised that I had a talent in simplifying more complex concepts and ideas into more digestible language, which resulted in greater understanding and engagement within classes. With this obstacle, I acquired an interest in teaching and tutoring others.
I undertook work experience at my primary school when I was in Sixth Form and I learnt a great deal about engaging students, making lessons more fun and building a rounded interest in education. I was particularly proud of my ability to engage Reception and Year 1 students in individual reading. This also involved phonics and spelling. I was able to reach and inspire a student with ADHD and autism through my patient and understanding nature. This extends to all my students. With many children, I feel as if there are confidence and interest issues, which is where I believe tutoring is so effective. Working one-to-one slightly outside the curriculum, making lessons fun and providing a supportive environment which tailors subject content to a more personal level, this nurtures a wider interest in the material. I considered this during my year abroad in Austria.
As a Language Assistant, my role was to plan the more ‘fun’ lessons, which would give my students a real insight into the English-speaking world from a Londoner. Here, I developed creativity, tried and tested various learning styles to match the students’ needs and told them exciting stories. While I greatly enjoyed this style of teaching in the classroom, and simultaneously created a bond with my students because I was the ‘cool’ assistant, I preferred working in an environment with smaller groups of students. I saw many shyer students blossom in this supportive environment, making progress in exam preparation and speaking tasks at a level I would not have seen in the classroom, and this is where I believe tutoring excels in its objectives. It was also greatly important to me that the students felt they could confide in me their personal and educational concerns, which could not have been done if not for the environment I provided for them. With this experience, I believe I have great insight into how to be an effective tutor.
Thus, I am an enthusiastic, empathetic teacher who is able (through my experience) to make learning more stimulating and engage students effectively, while still focusing on progress – no matter how small. I have experience in both high-achieving and underachieving schools, which will enable me to identify with all students that need my help to achieve their goals. And as I have undertaken many exams of all different kinds in my education, I will help my students formulate a clear revision strategy with the tools they need to thrive in their subject. I aspire to provide an environment that will enable any student to realise their potential in all spheres and create a bond that will encourage them to achieve their goals.