Vinay R.

I am an English Literature graduate from the University of Birmingham, who is currently studying a Masters degree in Philosophy. I really enjoy English and Philosophy as they can be a really fun subjects to learn as well as teach. I found that at school my teachers made the subjects enjoyable, so much so that I got a grade 9 in my English Literature GCSE and a grade 8 in English Language as well as a grade A* in my Religious Studies A-level and a 2:1 in my English Literature degree. Therefore, I aim to help students improve their grades by making learning enjoyable because when something is difficult to learn it can be difficult to want to understand and persevere. As a tutor, it is important to understand areas of struggle and help to adapt them in a way that is more accessible to the student. I have achieved 10 GCSEs, in which I received: 1 Grade 9 in English Literature, 4 Grade 8’s (1 Grade 8 being in English Language), 3 Grade 7’s and 2 Grade 6’s. I have also achieved 3 A-levels and received: an A* in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, an A in English Literature and a B in German. I graduated from the University of Birmingham as an undergraduate English Literature student with a 2:1 Honours and have recently graduated with a MSc in Philosophy, Mental Health, and Psychology.

I have a BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences (Materials Science) at the University of Cambridge, ranking in the top third of my cohort last year. I have tutored at the secondary-level, and have since offered Oxbridge admission prep (ESAT, interview). I teach GCSE and KS3 chemistry & maths. I am currently working as a teaching assistant at a secondary school. During university I have held internships and voluntary roles as an academic representative, college representative, research assistant at a pharmaceuticals company, and web developer creating educational resources for undergraduate materials science, along with a breadth of research projects and other coursework. I draw on all this experience in lessons to make science and maths relevant and fun!

I have worked as a lecturer at De Montfort University for over 15 years. I hold a PGCE in further Education, an MA in English Language Teaching, and a BA honours in English. I taught English for Academic Purposes at university. This enabled me to develop various teaching approaches at different levels of English usage. I have also taught KS3-KS5 in the UK and abroad during which I have been observed several times and demonstrated that I was outstanding. I have used various teaching aids ranging from pictures, flash cards, to a variety of IT techniques. I have also used peer interaction and assessment to develop learners. Teaching at university enabled me to teach presentation skills. This has enabled me to do the same during training, coaching and mentoring sessions with colleagues. I have mentored a number of tutors. In my experience as a university lecturer I have used a variety of online platforms to teach students during the Covid-19 pandemic. I began my journey into English in 2002 when I did a BA (hons) in English at Demontfort university. Following this I did an MA in Children’s Literature in 2005 due to my immense love of reading. However, it was only when I landed a job at a resources centre that I decided to specialize in teaching and so I did a PGCE in education and an MA in English language teaching both in 2007-2009. I absolutely love teaching since then - as cliche as it sounds it is truly my passion and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I love my students and to see them excel truly makes me content. I’ve been told that I have a gift for building a rapport with learners and I to feel this is something that comes naturally to me because as a student I myself struggled with being misunderstood and branded as a ‘bad student’. I feel as a result I can relate to students and their struggles more easily. I’m also very patient and an excellent listener.

I am first class honours graduate of Bioscience. I hold a postgraduate degreen in computer science. I have won national awards for my science communication. I am also confident in teaching learners with addtional needs. Overall, I am a confident and patient tutor with a passion for helping students learn and grow confident in their abilities. I have a first class honours degree in Bioscience from the Univeristy of Limerick. I hold a level 8 postgraduate degree in software development. I won the Mary Mulvihill award for science communication for my illustrated essay. From both my background in industry in research and development and my studies I am experienced in explaining complex issues like science in a way that is easy to understand. I enjoy teaching and am committed to student success