Hannah

As a fully qualified secondary school teacher with a BA in History from Oxford University and an MSc in Social and Cultural Anthropology, teaching and learning is at the heart of everything I do. From working in a multicultural London school, teaching on a remote island in the South Pacific, to living and researching gender and mobile phones in Bangladesh, my experiences have given me a wide range of perspectives that are essential to designing effective and inclusive learning.

My commitment to teaching and learning means that I am part of a wider community of innovative educators. In 2017 I contributed to the latest professional scholarship through the publication of an article in the Historical Association’s journal Teaching History (Issue 167). The theme of the issue was ‘complicating narratives’ and my article aimed to raise questions about standard textbook narratives concerning change in the Industrial Revolution.

I am currently developing my Master research further and working on a PhD proposal. In my spare time I love to run, read, and play football.

Tutoring Experience

I have 4 years of classroom experience as a full-time History teacher in an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ school. My observed lessons were also judged to be ‘Outstanding’. During this time, I developed resources for the reformed GCSE and A level curriculums, and frequently revised and refined them to ensure the lessons I taught were as engaging and effective as possible. Consequently, I have a detailed professional understanding of the content and skills needed to excel in GCSE and A level History.

In particular I have access to a wealth of resources for the Edexcel GCSE History Course (including, but not limited to, modules on: Medicine Through Time, Superpower Relations and the Cold War, Early Elizabethan England, and Weimar and Nazi Germany). I also have expertise in teaching the Edexcel A level course, in particular the USA in the 20th century. However, the essay writing skills and revision techniques I have developed are adaptable to all periods of History.

Furthermore, I have extensive experience marking and providing constructive feedback on students’ written work. I have also supervised EPQ projects and supported students when writing their personal statements.

Tutoring Approach

When tutoring students on a one-on-one basis, I draw on the reactions hundreds of students I have previously taught in order to make lessons engaging and memorable. One of the challenges of classroom teaching is to cater to the needs of 28 individuals. One of the great benefits of tutoring is that learning can be tailored both to address both the student’s areas of difficulty and their interests and learning style. Therefore, all my tutoring sessions start with an active discussion with the student to establish the focus of the session. Once gaps in learning have been identified, I can structure the sessions to build upon knowledge and embed skills.
Of course, not all learning is about achieving the highest grades and tuition can provide a space for students to be inspired to pursue their own learning interests further. As well as helping students succeed in exams, I use tutoring sessions to broaden students’ intellectual horizons by drawing on my own extensive reading and areas of interest.