Description: Saffron is a tutor who specialises in teaching languages (German, French, Italian), TEFL, Oxbridge applications and interview skills.
Having studied English, French, German and Music for A-Level, I pursued my passion for languages as a student of Modern Languages (French and Italian) at Cambridge University. I was awarded a choral scholarship and a Milner Walton Award which enabled me to further my musical education. As part of my degree, I spent a year abroad working part-time in Rome where I taught English as a foreign language to students ranging from seven to seventy.
After graduating from university, I returned to Rome for five months where I worked at the Keats-Shelley Museum by the Spanish Steps, welcoming visitors and giving tours in both English and Italian about the fascinating lives of the Romantic poets Keats, Shelley and Byron.
A year after university, I trained as a classical singer at the Royal Northern College of Music, graduating with Distinction in 2012. I then worked for a film production company in London dedicated to children’s television which affirmed my love of working with and for the young. Throughout, I have worked as a translator and tutor of languages and voice in my spare time and have now decided to dedicate more time to tutoring, and to take it on in a full-time, professional capacity.
I have been tutoring for ten years, now and am very passionate and enthusiastic about the profession. For me, the most important aspects of teaching are flexibility and sensitivity: I assess each student’s unique requirements and tailor my lessons with them accordingly. I understand the importance of employing different learning styles and strategies in order to maximise each student’s full potential and like to take a structured and detailed approach in order to instil confidence and help develop his or her skills. I consider myself patient and approachable, and will always ensure students understand, and feel they can ask questions if they don’t. I am positive and particularly supportive towards students who may lack self-confidence, as I believe confidence is essential in succeeding in exams.
I have been tutoring for ten years and am very passionate and enthusiastic about the profession. For me, the most important elements of teaching are the ability to adapt and sensitivity: I assess each student’s unique requirements and tailor my lessons accordingly. I understand the need to employ different learning methods and strategies in order to maximise every student’s potential and aim to take a structured and detailed approach in order to instil confidence and help develop his or her skills. I consider myself personable and patient, and will always ensure students have understood, and feel they can ask questions at any point if they haven’t. I am friendly and particularly encouraging with students who may lack self-confidence, as I believe this quality is essential in succeeding in exams and interviews.
Teaching Experience
My degree at Cambridge was thorough and stretching. I enjoyed the scope of period it offered, as well as the opportunity to engage with historical, cultural, linguistic and social context. In my teaching of languages now, I constantly use the discipline and research and analysis skills I honed then and it is my aim to pass these on to my students.
Over the course of my tutoring career, I have taken on a wide range of roles. Many have been focussed on applications to Oxford or Cambridge: I have, for example, prepared students for entry from Eton, Godolphin and Latymer, the Harrodian School, Benenden and City of London School for Girls to name just a few.
Other roles have been broader. For example, I took over the education of an Italian university student who needed to learn English in order to work in England. As I had already gained experience of a wide range of pupils, I had learned to recognise weakness and strength with accuracy and so was able to use this to hone my pupil’s learning and help him achieve the best possible grade. At music college, I offered basic Italian pronunciation to students of singing, and whilst working for a film company, I taught English as a Foreign Language to several pupils working towards GCSE English.
Last year I also worked with Oxbridge Applications as a mentor to young students from under-privileged backgrounds. I offered academic support to students often facing financial hardship who were applying for Oxbridge. The experience re-affirmed to me the power of empathy and trust when forging relationships with individuals from all backgrounds and the need for support and understanding when teaching every student.
Saffron J, Cambridge University graduate, TEFL & Oxbridge tutor. Register your interest in working with Saffron by contacting us here today.