Julian - West Hampstead - History

Experience

- What kind of experience do you have?

I am an ex-English and Drama teacher with plenty of experience in education and industry. My career to date has spanned teaching, educational technology, IT course design and senior posts in people management. My career’s concentration on development and learning has taken place within a variety of cultural contexts across both the public and private sectors. This variety has given me a rich mix of insights, skills and values of immediate relevance to coaching and tuition. I have spent considerable time living and working in Continental Europe in both Italy and France. When working in industry I became very familiar with the challenge of communicating with colleagues from a variety of cultures using digital communication platforms and teleconferencing. This has sensitised me to online communications and trained me as an active listener.

- Do you have an up-to-date DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service, formerly CRB) Certificate?

I have a full current enhanced CRB certificate.

- Where and with whom did you train?

The Oxford University course on Effective Online Tuition provided a solid pedagogic foundation for applying digital technology to enhance learning. It is a very practical course and is itself a brilliant example of how an effective online tutor can 'facilitate' learning and self-discovery through establishing collaborative groups of online learners.

- Tell me about some of your current students.

I had great pleasure helping out online a number of A level students studying English Literature as they came up towards their exams from April through to June. I soon became fully immersed in a wide range of Jacobean drama, Romantic poetry and Gothic novels. Although the subject matter is interesting, the main pleasure comes from seeing these students develop in confidence and self-assurance as they are introduced to themes and ideas that they then link into their existing knowledge to form breakthroughs of understanding. I also had the privilege to take one student all the way through the Geography A level during the year with 3 hours of tuition a week. It was intensely satisfying to see him develop over time a geographical frame of mind, to grow in his understanding of the concepts and to engage with so many issues of crucial importance to our times.