Clare

I am a highly experienced and successful teacher - having been teaching for 19 years and progressing through to Senior Assistant Headteacher level. During that time I have taught Psychology as my main subject alongside English, Religious Studies and Citizenship. I started with just 9 students in A-level during my first year of teaching and within two years had increased the numbers to 80+ students. My passion for the subject as well as the consistently excellent results over the years made Psychology the most popular A-level subject in the school.

I am also an experienced examiner for the leading exam board for A-level Psychology (AQA) and this has given me great insight into how examination questions should be answered and how to approach the exam to guarantee success. This informs my teaching to make it as relevant and impactful as possible.

I have written articles for psychological magazines, and led workshops for teachers of Psychology as well as other subjects encouraging the use of active and engaging teaching methods and techniques to get the best thinking from students. Students often comment on my love of the subject and how I make even the most complex aspects appear simple, as well as pointing out I make them think harder than they are used to!

Tutoring Experience

I have taught at secondary schools and colleges and have provided tuition to students in both small groups and individually. I have always taught students of all abilities and have obtained excellent results against target grades regardless of students' starting points. As Head of Department and later as Senior Assistant Headteacher in charge of Curriculum, I have an excellent understanding of both the subject knowledge and skills requirements for GCSE and A-level Psychology, and the skills needed to manage learning and revision across a number of subjects.

My work as both an examiner and previously as an adviser for the exam board has broadened my experience, giving my students an advantage when it comes to understanding the small details that make a difference in an answer.

Tutoring Approach

The key to my approach is the relationship I build with students - friendly, flexible and always with their best outcome in mind. The passion and excellent subject knowledge I have is quickly evident to students and they in turn trust me to guide them to success. Every year between 30 to 50% of my class went onto to study Psychology or related degrees at University which I'm very proud of. I have a number of psychologists, mental health professionals and psychology teachers amongst my previous students.

I am highly organised and logical with my teaching - if a student does not grasp the threshold concept that we are looking at they are not going to be able to progress. Ongoing and accurate assessment of their knowledge then is vital. This does not just mean answering practise exam questions but also a wide range of methods such as discussion, application and verbal questioning. I have developed a huge number of resources over the years and use what works best for the student. In order to make learning relevant and engaging, I will use news and current media as the basis for discussions and application activities as these make the knowledge memorable.

My specialism in Psychology is critical Psychology which means that I can look at any piece of research and point out the flaws and issues as well as the potential impacts in the real world - a vital aspect of developing the AO3 skill of analysis and evaluation. I examine the Research Methods, Biopsychology and Approaches paper - often stated as the hardest paper! This deep understanding of the scientific aspects of psychology means I can help students overcome misconceptions and give them a strong base for all the areas of the course which is vital for achieving the highest grades. Having also taught and tutored English, working with students to improve their writing style and essay techniques is a strength and helps students to maximise their marks and show their knowledge off in the best way.