Qualified Teacher & Russell Group MA Graduate Offering Expert Essay Feedback and Editing

Find out more about Shani

• 1) When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I have been helping younger students ever since I was doing my GCSEs. I just didn't know that what I was doing was tutoring!
  
  At the time, I took part in a volunteer librarian programme at my school. I thought originally that it would just be checking books in and out and stocking the shelves. After a while, though, students would start to approach me to ask questions and have me look over their homework before they handed it in. By the time I was in sixth form, I was doing this twice a week, and I'd gathered a group of keen students who were interested in getting my help with a range of subjects!
  
  Then, when I started my degree in 2015, I was approached by a company that wanted students from Russell Group universities to be online tutors. It clicked then that I had already been tutoring students for quite some time. I had loved it at school, so I signed up right away!
  
  I haven't really looked back since then. I have worked with multiple schools and companies, tutored hundreds of students and spent as much time as possible upskilling to be the best tutor I can be. I was even involved in the National Tutoring Programme during the lockdown!
  
  While tutoring is a part-time job for me, I even chose my full-time job as a sixth-form teacher because I loved helping students. It's always been a wonderful feeling to watch students who have struggled in the past achieve more than they ever thought they could! I want to provide that for as many students as possible.
  
  I tutor English, History and Media Studies for GCSE and A-level. My first MA is in History because I loved learning about how people and ideas change over time. It was fascinating to see how historians can have such different interpretations of the cause, effect and significance of events in the past. For me, it showed how diverse people are and how we all have valid thoughts and interpretations about the past.
  
  However, I went to an ancient Scottish university for my undergraduate MA in History. At these universities, you take multiple subjects in your first two years. So, I took two years of English Literature, one year of English language, and some Politics, French and Japanese. During this time, I realised how powerful literature and linguistics could be for learning about yourself and the world around you. I personally think History and English go hand-in-hand. So, even though I continued with my History MA, I kept up with the curriculum and reading of the English Literature and English Language courses.
  
  Eventually, by the time I graduated, I realised that there was just more about English that I loved. Don't get me wrong! I still love History! It's just that I love certain periods of history and love the freedom to pick and choose what I study. When it comes to English Language and Literature, though, I love all of it - from the Gothic to Child Language Development. In fact, I even adore grammar!
  
  So, when it came to picking what to do for my PGCE when I was training to be a secondary school teacher, it seemed like a no-brainer to do English. I could have the most reach for students, and I could hopefully spread my love of the subject to as many young people as possible.

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I predominantly teach English Language and Literature to GCSE, A-level and IB students.
  
  For me, English is an absolutely essential subject. It's a lot like weight-lifting for the brain! It teaches you so many skills like critical thinking, comprehension, formulating arguments and persuasion that are crucial in lots of careers - from becoming a lawyer to setting up your own business. I love its versatility. It doesn't lead directly to as many careers as a more vocational subject like Business Studies does, but it trains you to think in important ways that will help your future.
  
  Plus, in our modern world where anyone can post anything online, English is vital. It teaches us how to break down other people's arguments and allows us to step back and think, 'What is this person trying to convince me to think or believe?' That is the first step in combatting fake news and propaganda, in my opinion, and that's why I chose to become a qualified English teacher.
  
  I am currently studying for an MA in English with a focus on Literary Linguistics. This area of the subject has always fascinated me! I love the fact that it helps you to use all the research and theories in English Linguistics to explain our thoughts and feelings about literary texts. It's an essential part of AO2 for GCSE and A-level English Literature, so it's something everyone should learn! Plus, it makes the subject of English much more equal than it's been in the past. In Literary Linguistics, your interpretations of a text aren't only valid if they match some person who has read books in the literary canon in a university for 40 years. If you have an interesting idea and you can back it up with linguistics, it is just as important.
  
  There are also some fascinating things you can do with English as a subject that keep me intrigued. For example, forensic linguistics is not something that a lot of people know exists! It's a branch of English where you analyse things like the letters left behind by criminals to help solve crimes. As someone who used to love watching forensic science TV shows when I was younger, I've always loved the idea that I could help real forensic scientists and lawyers with the knowledge and skills I've picked up!
  
  I am preparing to apply for a PhD in English with a focus on the linguistic analysis of fantasy texts, including video games. So, hopefully, I can come back pretty soon and say that I'm doing some interesting work on the field!

• 3) Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  Actually, I have three big role models!
  
  The first one is my A-level history teacher, Mr Moore. He taught me about the importance of asking questions and having discussions with other people to further your own interpretations of a historical period or text. Plus, he made us do drills to learn how to take notes quickly and efficiently. All of that is now part of my own practice when I'm teaching and tutoring. Discussion is one of the most powerful teaching tools because it helps you to work through your own ideas. That way, I can pinpoint exactly where you're struggling and fix the issue - just like when you make a mistake in your working out in maths. And as much as I hated the timed note-taking tasks, I think I'm a much better student for it, and I want to pass that on to as many students as possible. Trust me: it will save you time, energy and heartache in the long run! He also used to recommend me hundreds of books to read which were all catered to my personality and reading preferences. I always strive to know my students as well as he did.
  
  The other two role models are my current tutors in my MA. They are both really important researchers in the field of Literary Linguistics. One of them has been working on it for decades and has over a thousand publications in the area. He taught me of the importance of having real passion for what you do. He's helped me to expand and refine my ideas, and given me the motivation and support that I needed to actually consider doing a PhD after this. In my teaching, I try to have the same kind of excitement for the topic. I learnt from him that if I am excited by and love English, I can help my students feel the same way. That's an important part of being a tutor for me!
  
  Then there's my other course tutor. She has such a clear, understandable way to explain her subject! From her, I picked up the habit of using references that students relate to in order to help them understand more complex linguistic and literary ideas. We've used viral videos to look at passive voice, pop culture feuds to explore discourse analysis and well-known adverts to think about metaphor! I try to carry this over to my own lessons because I know that older literature like Shakespeare can feel like it doesn't apply to students today. The more I can show them that it matters now, the easier it will be for them to engage with it and come to their own interpretations. So, thanks to her, I use things like Tupac and Johnny Cash lyrics to explain iambic pentameter - that's always fun for my students!

• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  For me, being a tutor requires you to be calm, enthusiastic and reassuring. You have to have excellent subject knowledge and passion for the topics you're covering. Students often come to tutors because they're struggling to grasp a topic or need some extra help. So, using positivity and knowledge to help students gain confidence is my top priority. I want them to know they are in good hands and that they have the ability to succeed if they put in the work and respond to feedback.
  
  Often, students will come with things that they know they definitely want to work on. However, good tutors will also baseline and assess their students to get a better understanding of what is needed. After all, you can't know what you don't know! So, my job as a tutor is to make sure that I use my own knowledge of the subject and exam board to help you learn everything you need. That makes tutoring an interesting balancing act. It is important to cover the material you've told me you want to cover, but also help you to learn the things you don't even realise you need to improve on!
  
  As well as this, I think communication is important - both during and outside of tutorials. During tutorials, a good tutor's communication skills will be aimed at helping you to speak through your ideas and explain your thought processes as much as possible. It involves asking good questions and teasing out answers as much as possible! That's because it will help us to find any issues in your current knowledge. Plus, it will help you to get into the habit of asking yourself useful and critical questions. In a difficult exam, knowing how to ask yourself questions is a crucial skill to getting the top grades.
  
  Outside of the classroom, a good tutor must always make sure they keep in regular contact with students and/or parents. If there are issues or cancellations, they need to be dealt with as soon as possible to keep professionalism and confidence high.
  
  Of course, pedagogy (the theory of teaching) is important. The best tutors have worked out what works (through studying education theory, learning from other amazing tutors, and trial and error) and make sure their lessons are structured to ensure the best results. I want you to learn efficiently and feel like you're making progress in my lessons, and the science is there to help me make it happen. It's up to me to use it!
  
  Sometimes, people overlook how important building relationships is to the tutoring process, too. Students are spending their time outside of school with you. They would probably much rather be playing a game or checking their FYP. That's a lot to compete with! But if you build strong relationships with your students, they won't dread your lessons, which will make it much easier to make progress.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I had an amazing English teacher when I was doing my A-levels. Whenever you asked her a question, she would really seem like she was considering your thoughts before she responded. She would put her hand on her chin, and her eyes would slide upwards with a 'hmmm'. As a 16-year-old, my thoughts had never been taken seriously like that before. It was my first step in gaining the confidence I needed to feel like I have important things to say - that my interpretations are valuable.
  
  That seems like such a small thing, but it really matters. It motivated me to try hard for the rest of the year. Plus, it helped me to value other people's interpretations, too. I mean, my teacher had a master's degree and years of experience teaching English! If she made the assumption that I had something interesting to say, it was probably because she'd learnt from experience that good ideas can come from anywhere - sometimes even really unexpected places.
  
  I like to carry that ethos into everything I do: from teaching to my own studies. You never know when inspiration might strike, or who might strike you with it. So, you should always be on the lookout for a good idea!

• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I think it's really easy to assume that if you're experienced in literature, you'll just be brimming with interpretations the first time you read something new. For me personally, that's not always the case. Often, I will still need to read the same thing more than once to really have any thoughts about it at all! I try to get hold of other people's thoughts and interpretations of a text before I form my own ideas because it's not always easy to have an opinion about everything you read straight away! And as much as I know that it's normal to have to reread something to fully comprehend it, it can be frustrating for me. I just want to say cool, profound things right now! Maybe I need to take a course in philosophy...
  
  I have ADHD, so reading can sometimes be a struggle in general! If I'm not careful, I could end up reading the same sentence over and over again and not really letting it sink in. And being a literature teacher, tutor and student all at the same time, I've got lots of reading to do. So, I have to find strategies to make sure I can get as much done as possible. Usually, that means putting on some noise-cancelling headphones and listening to rain sounds, low-fi tracks or jazz. I hope I find some other strategies in the future!

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  While I love teaching, my biggest passion is my subject. I love analysing all kinds of media - from books and poetry to films and video games - and learning languages. I speak Gujarati at home and understand Hindi because of Bollywood films. I'm learning French and Japanese at the moment, and I hope I can pick up Korean, Swahili and Mandarin one day! I teach because I love watching students grow a similar enthusiasm to me for the subjects I love!

• 8) What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

  I pride myself on my ability to make complex ideas easy to understand. I've been doing this tutoring thing for 10 years now, and so I have lots of experience on what students need to know and understand. When you combine that with my knowledge of pop culture and my love of modern art forms like gaming and anime, it means that I can give students examples that are relatable to them. I have been tutoring online since I began, so I am very used to helping students stay motivated over a screen. Plus, I like to think I have a bubbly and calm personality that helps students to feel at home!