Michael

I studied Theology at both Leeds Trinity College and Durham University, later going on to take the PTLLS Level 4 at the Advance Training Academy. After doing regular guest teaching and classroom assistance, I began tutoring in 2014. Since then I have taught people from Cramlington, Durham, Dunston, Gateshead, and Sunderland (to name just a few examples). Each of my students has steadily increased their grades, achieving A*-C.

My aim is to provide first quality tuition in Religious Studies and Philosophy and to help people become more confident in these subjects. I am an individual who is committed to making education a lasting experience rather than a lecture to be endured. My experiences have taught me that each student has the potential to grow and change. To that end I take on students of all dispositions, from the confident and capable to nervous and struggling type.

I am based in the North East of England and offer face-to-face tuition to anyone in this region. However, I offer online tuition to people from other regions (Skype, phone or email).

If you want extra help, email me and we can set up an ice-breaker session. Each lesson from then onwards is specifically tailored to your learning style. We can then focus on a combination of extra content and exam technique. I will continuously ask for feedback to make sure that you are satisfied with the quality of service.

Consider the benefits of having a tutor:
a) Raise your grades
b) Increase your self-confidence
c) Access to continuous support and advice

Why use me personally?
a) I am patient, creative, and dedicated in helping all students be successful. I have worked with diverse sets of students with wide range of needs. Therefore I am able to work with students of all abilities as I am flexible and adaptable to different settings.
b) My lessons are very comprehensive. You will typically be given a handout on the relevant topic, discussion and past paper questions and a background on the key critical thinkers. They are each adjusted to your learning style, so we can get quite creative!

I am DBS checked and can provide references upon request.

Availability: I am available to teach in the afternoons and evenings of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Willing to travel: 3 miles

Experience: My experience is twofold:
a) Classroom assistance.
b) Guest teaching and tutoring.

I have done classroom work at Gateshead Volunteering and Opportunities Centre and New College Durham. My duties involved: helping struggling students with classroom activities, helping them to express themselves and dealing with classroom behavioural issues. When working with students, I was noted for being approachable, compassionate, kind and patient.

On top of this, I have given guest lessons in Theology and Religious studies at Leeds Trinity University College, Jesmond Methodist Church, Gosforth High School and the Royal Grammar School. Since I started tutoring in the North East, I have tutored students from Durham, Dunston, Gateshead, Gosforth and Sunderland.
Both teachers and students have acknowledged my sessions as organised, stimulating and thorough.

Exactly how I conduct the lessons depends on the needs of the tutee. However, most tutees that I have met require help with additional knowledge and essay-writing. Thus, the approach that I usually take is as follows. I divide the lesson into two parts.

For the first half, I will have a discussion with the tutee on a particular topic. To help the tutee prepare for the discussion, I will give him / her: a detailed hand-out on the topic, some discussion questions and (if necessary) a brief background on the important key thinkers.

For the second half, I will teach the tutee essay-writing techniques. To help him / her with this exercise, I will teach the tutee an essay-writing formula. We will then apply this to past-paper questions. I will then look over these questions and return them with detailed feedback for how to improve. When necessary, I will provide pastoral support for exam stress.

Students whom I have taught have found this greatly addresses their concerns. At the end of the tutoring, they have commented that they feel more confident and knowledgeable about the subject. In addition to this, they feel much more confident about essay-writing.

DBS Check: Yes