Richard

Certified Tutor

I am a UK citizen, 64 years old, currently in Canada with my Canadian wife. I qualified as a teacher at the age of 30 after gaining a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and History as a mature student at Staffordshire University. After teaching for 11 years in the UK state system, I moved abroad. I taught in Egypt, Portugal, Jordan, Nigeria, Sudan and China, first as a classroom teacher and since 2008 as a school principal. I also completed a three-year online Masters' qualification in educational leadership.

Literature is my passion and I love teaching all aspects of it, from any epoch and any culture and whether it was originally written in English or in translation. My teaching aims to assist students of all ages and abilities to appreciate the ways in which literature opens us up to understanding of the human experience, while at the same time preparing them for rigorous exams like the A Level or IB Diploma. There should be nothing intimidating about the study of literature - there are reasons why a particular piece of prose, poetry or drama has been recognised as having value. A rigorous focus on how the techniques and skills writers deploy enables students confidently to identify those reasons, as well as to develop the kind of insights and individual voice necessary to succeed at the highest levels in examinations.

Teaching is about more than just the transfer of information. The respect I have for my students, combined with my ability to understand each one's particular learning styles and needs, provides levels of motivation and encouragement that generates genuine self-belief in every student. These are qualities that endure long after they have passed their examinations and moved to the next stage of their educational and life journey.