Michael

I am an engaging and highly effective history educator, comfortable working online with TEAMS, Zoom or skype, or face to face. I have a passion for my subject and a love to help students to achieve their best. I have wide-ranging experience. I have been a history teacher and head of department for over 25 years, but also worked for a history education NGO which worked to train history teachers in countries emerging from genocide. In the last couple of years I have been teaching history at a high performing school in the UK and in Spain. I love all aspects of history, and my experience and knowledge means I can be helpful in most specifications. I am particularly interested in working with students from GCSE to A Level, for both history and Politics However, expertise I gained with the NGO means I can also advise post A level students in the area of Genocide studies. I am also CELTA qualified (Grade B).

Tutoring Experience

I taught history from 1981 - 2007 in three comprehensive schools, two as head of department. The last 14 years of these was as head of history at Kings' School, Winchester. Before that I taught at The Grange, Christchurch and Wildern, Southampton. Along the way I was also a teacher adviser for history for Hampshire LEA. From 2007 to 2018 I worked as Senior Programme Coordinator for international professional development NGO Facing History and Ourselves, supporting history teachers and departments mainly in London. From January 2018 I began work at Bishop Wordsworth Grammar School, Salisbury, teaching history up to A level. I then had a very pleasant three month stint at the British College Benalmadena in Spain, from April to June 2018 teaching history and English, from where I returned to my school in Salisbury in September 2018 and I spent 4 years there.

Tutoring Approach

My approach to teaching is based around a thorough understanding the of the course specification, in ensuring that every aspect of the course is taught thoroughly and in an engaging way. I do this by checking regularly what the student knows and by making the lessons interactive. I like to include many opportuntires for deductive, problem -solving style activitiies that help the student to think and understand. Knoewledge retention is really important, as is being able to answer examination style questions effectively. I am therefore keen that students be aware of markschmemes and how to get better at answer examination questions.