Joseph

I am an ECT-qualified English teacher that currently works at a thriving school in Hampshire with an enthusiasm and passion for the subject and a strong desire to see students thrive and accomplish their goals.

I have always had a passion for the English language and with historical literature texts so I decided to take the next step and start teaching. I have always considered myself a highly driven, enthusiastic and quietly confident individual who relentlessly demands more of himself. Teaching has had a discernible impact on my communication skills, leadership qualities and conflict resolution management.

Outside of my professional career, my interests include exercise & sport, film/television and spending time with my family. I have a two-year-old son who keeps me very busy!

Tutoring Experience

I have been teaching English in a secondary school setting for the past three years and have attained plenty of experience teaching KS3 (Year 7 & 8) and KS4 groups (Year 9, 10 & 11). I have experience teaching various GCSE texts such as Romeo & Juliet, A Christmas Carol, Lord of the Flies and the Power & Conflict Poetry Anthology and I can confidently and competently teach these texts to a wide range of abilities.

My teacher training has been completed through the rigorous Teach First training programme which includes working on a full-time timetable from the first day, alongside completing my academic studies in order to obtain my PGCE and then PGDE.

I also have a background in Journalism so I possess a particular affinity towards language-based skills and especially non-fiction writing. I achieved a First-Class degree in Journalism and previously worked as a journalist so I have published many articles prior to my teaching career. I would regard this as my particular area of expertise although I feel highly confident and competent in teaching every aspect of the English language and literature secondary curriculum.

Tutoring Approach

I have always considered myself to be a very calm, composed and patient individual so I take a great degree of pride in exhibiting those qualities within a teaching profession. Despite the demanding nature of being a secondary school teacher and the behaviour management responsibilities that come with it, I have always maintained my natural persona in being cool and collected, rather than adopting a particular 'teaching persona' as such.

This has had a monumental impact on enabling me to manage high-stress situations and not only facilitate positive working relationships with peers, but also build a positive rapport with the students that I teach.

While I have a very calm and collected persona, I am a highly demanding individual who requires maximum effort from my students and always pushes them further to unlock their full potential. I am a huge advocate of constructive criticism and always finding an area to improve and never simply 'settling'. My intention is always to encourage and nurture my students but to always instil belief that there is always more that can be achieved. I consider myself a highly positive individual and I hope this can rub off on my students.