Christine

I have high expectations of my students which I convey fully to them. I constantly try to stretch and challenge them in order for them to achieve beyond their expectations. I have seen many of my students achieve well above their expected grades and have been able to work closely with them to ensure the maximum impact. Pre Covid, our sixth form was ranked top of 101 colleges in England for Added Value and I have played a full and active part in that achievement. For example, one of my previous students went into year 13 with an E at AS. We went on to work on her essay writing skills and developed strategies to improve this grade; she gained a C which was above expected. She and I were both delighted and I was as proud of this as I have been at others getting an A*. She is also now a teacher at the college and is a colleague!
I have developed many, many resources over the years and continue to develop and update these constantly. I have developed workbooks for all parts of the Edexcel specification to ensure every aspect is covered. However, I also continue to look for dynamic and useful activities which can enhance the students’ experience. This was especially challenging during the pandemic, but all of my students engaged fully throughout the Covid crisis.

Throughout my varied career I have worked with many different teams. I have been able to develop strong working relationships based on respect and cooperation. I have a high regard for my fellow teachers and am always willing to share good practice and resources which could be beneficial to them. I am also able to work independently and autonomously, taking full responsibility for all aspects of psychology provision and of my own practice. I continually reflect on my practice to ensure I am constantly delivering to the highest standard.
I have the relevant qualifications and a wide range of experience in teaching A level. I have taught Edexcel for the past nine years or so, though I have previously taught AQA A, some AQA B and WJEC. I have taught four boards of Access to HE and taught OCR at GCSE level. I am an outstanding teacher, having been part of the Peer Observation Team and been praised for various levels of good practice on many occasions. I feel I inspire and challenge students constantly.

I have ECDL level 2 and constantly use ICT, including updating my VLE pages for each course. My A level added value is consistently high as are my high grades. Moreover, throughout my entire time at my current job, I have achieved a 100% pass rate at A Level Psychology. I am a clear and confident person who can communicate well and establish strong working relationships with people from all types of background. I need to prioritise my workload and be highly organised, as I run the entire psychology A level, and share teaching on Access provision. I find psychology as a discipline has given me a real sense of objectivity which helps to evaluate work from an unbiased stance. I have full understanding of safeguarding procedures and am committed to inclusion in all parts of life, including the education system.

Having travelled extensively when I was younger, I have a broad knowledge of diverse cultures which is useful when discussing cultural relativism, cultural differences and when working with multi-cultural groups. Working with diverse groups and within mental health services, I can bring first-hand experience of mental ill health to the classroom (obviously within the boundaries of confidentiality).

My decision to teach was based on many factors. However, not once did I realise at that point the privilege it is to be so heavily involved in helping young people to achieve their goals and aspirations. This is not lost on me and as such I give my utmost effort to my job and to my students.

Tutoring Experience

Please see above; all information in 'About Me'

Tutoring Approach

Please see above; all information in 'About Me'