Richard

Hello, my name is Richard. I am – or was recently - a mature student, having returned to academia after a long hiatus to work in other areas. Literature / literary analysis is a discipline for which I have an enduring passion, and my return to it has felt like something of a homecoming. I recently completed my master’s at the University of Liverpool, where I achieved a Distinction and was awarded the Departmental Prize for 2023-24.

Tutoring Experience

To date, voluntary tutoring accounts for most of my experience. I have had success and felt greatly rewarded helping pupils and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, through Tutor the Nation and Action Tutoring – both excellent and valuable educational programmes. Most often, this has involved 1-to-1 tutoring, although I have taught groups of up to 3. This has also provided me with a detailed awareness of current GCSE and A-level syllabi across the major examination boards. I have developed a feel for the intricacies of these exams: I know what they are looking for in a top answer.

Tutoring Approach

Close-reading is at the core of my tutoring philosophy (so to speak), fastidious attention to the detailed language of texts being the start and end point of sophisticated literary appreciation. This approach further ensures students root their answers firmly in relevant, nuanced textual analysis, avoiding the mid-lower grade pitfalls of 'wandering'. Testing understanding of key concepts, through encouraging students to actively apply, rather than regurgitate, learning is central to my tutoring methods.