A bit about Maire

Hi! I’m a CELTA qualified teacher (IH London) with over 5 years of English teaching experience. I did my undergraduate degree in Theology and Religion at Durham University and love teaching RS at all levels. I also tutor English Literature at GCSE and A Level after gaining an A* at A-level and GCSE myself. I specialise in EFL at all levels but especially B1. I have taught English and Religious Studies A level and GCSE for over 5 years now and specialise in exam technique. My lessons focus on exam structure and confidence for students as they undergo their formal exams. I always show students the mark schemes and the format of their papers as this can often be where schools fall short. I focus on student-led study and encouraging growth and confidence in their skills. I usually start with an introductory task, then go on to essay plans or writing a paragraph, or reviewing homework which the students can opt into. I sometimes give research tasks where relevant (especially for context in English exams). I first started tutoring whilst at University; I helped students with their English Literature and Theology studies having gained A*s for both at A-level. I then trained as an EFL teacher by completing a CELTA qualification and worked with IH London on their summer schools tutoring children aged 6-18. Since then I have been teaching all 3 disciplines online. I love seeing students build in confidence - not only in their writing but in their spoken vocabulary and the ability to express themselves more fluently. My teaching style is very student led and pushes students out of their comfort zone to see progress quickly; this gives them such a boost and motivation to keep going. I focus on exam technique to ensure that the students will know how to use their confidence in an exam setting. It gives them every necessary tool to succeed. My favourite thing about being a tutor is building relationships with students and anticipating their needs, being able to see them progress and get better and better grades as they continue to engage. As I have grown in my experience as a tutor, I have seen students do incredibly well in their exams and the confidence this has given them as well as expanding their opportunities later in life. My teaching philosophy is to try and give students the power and confidence to feel as if they have all the necessary tools in their exams. This means making sure they know what it will look like, having formulas for success, and breaking down difficult material into manageable pieces that they can make it their own and apply it to any difficult questions that may come up. My students love my honesty and the confidence I give them. Post exam results, most students say they are so proud of themselves and their results; they had the power and the tools to get the result they deserved. The greatest success I’ve had with teaching is seeing progress over time with students. Tutoring students who’ve gone from a grade C at A-Level in their mocks to an A after working with me during their final year which has allowed them to get into their desired university. CELTA Qualification for teaching English as a foreign language at all ages and levels BA in Theology and Religion (Durham University) A-levels - English Literature - A* Theology/Religious Studies - A* Helping others whilst at university showed me how much I can help others and how much exam technique is neglected at schools. It can give so much power to students to know how to take exams with formulas that will help them get good results. I am a big cinephile and love movies, especially independent films. I’m also very sporty and love playing sports like hockey which I’ve played since I was at school. I teach GCSE, A-Level English Literature and Religious Studies. I teach OCR, AQA, and Edexcel for English and OCR for RS. I teach EFL at all levels.