Nikita

I am a 1st year undergraduate studying at the University of Oxford, reading Ancient and Modern History. I am a motivated individual who enjoys helping to spread knowledge to my peers and other students, whilst maintaining a fun but professional environment. I have worked as part of the Head Student Team at my sixth form, working with members of the entire school (ages 11-18), equipping me with the appropriate skills of communication and organisation that will aid me in tutoring. Having received tutoring myself, I understand the importance of having a tutor who is passionate and also knowledgeable in the subject of study; this is something I aim to prioritise in this role as a tutor. I also have work experience at the National Archives in Kew, and in this role I was responsible for organising and distributing historical documents, as well as communicating and interacting with visitors of the archives, once again improving my organisational skills and interpersonal skills, which would aid me greatly in this role. Working as a Student Ambassador at Lincoln College, Oxford has helped me with my presentation and teamwork skills, working with other ambassadors to present relevant information to prospective students.

Tutoring Experience

In terms of official teaching experience, I am relatively limited. However, I have worked freelance as a tutor, helping family members and peers at school with improving their exam skills and understanding of content. I have also aided other students with their applications for Oxford, giving advice on personal statements and interview skills. Despite any lack of official experience, I am very passionate and excited to take this opportunity to gain experience and use it to help students reach their full potential and achieve success! I am a determined and dedicated worker, and would work extremely hard to perfect the skills required for this role.

Tutoring Approach

My approach is, in simple terms, two fold. Firstly, I believe that ensuring that there is a strong foundation of knowledge is key in learning for the student. To put this into practice, I would communicate with the learner and gage their level of understanding in a certain topic, then I myself would help fill in the gaps of their knowledge; answering any questions or re-explaining tricky content- it is key that the learner has this basis of understanding before putting this knowledge into practice. The second part of my approach is through recall and exam practice. To enact this, I would advise the learner how to make helpful active recall resources to help ensure that the information acquired is retained. Then, I would focus on exam technique and structure. Depending on the subject, exam technique can be just as crucial as content knowledge in getting top marks in exam questions, therefore, I would help the learner understand key ways to approach exam questions and help them formulate/plan answers that will maximise outcome for their exams. In my approach, I will ensure that the learner is taking an active role in their learning, avoiding lecturing and prioritising active engagement with the content.