Meet our Elite Tutor Team !
Clara D
I am studying my final year in a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University, majoring in Creative Writing and Italian
Hobbies: I love language and literature – how it reflects our culture, how it can affect the reader’s emotions, how it can be used to persuade others, what it reveals about the author’s life and intentions. My favorite book is A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, a beautifully written memoir with sharp observations and poignant descriptions of the author’s world. Besides reading, I enjoy veggie gardening and baking bread in my spare time.
My way of motivating students to learn: I am deeply passionate about sharing this love of literature with my students. I consider it a great privilege to introduce them to a range of classic texts in Reading classes, and creative writing in the Writing classes. Students will learn a series of skills including learning to read beneath the surface level of the text to understand the author’s greater intentions; learning to write clear and fluid literature analysis; and learning to write compelling narratives that have great description, 3D characters, and excellent structure.
My classes are discussion and practice based. Students read sections of texts out loud, discuss their opinions and ideas in response to prompts, and share their written work. Each class begins with one of the students’ excellent homework as an example, to provide encouragement, establish expectations, and show students that they are capable of excellent writing. I give students detailed and personalized feedback on each homework assignment. My aim is to assist their development in building a skillset that will serve them well throughout English classes and English testing throughout the duration of their schooling.
Benjamin E
I study a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor Global Studies, specialising in International Studies
Hobbies: In my spare time I enjoy playing guitar, playing sports including basketball and football with my friends, and have a passion for environmental justice.
My way of motivating students to learn: In my classes, I try to engage my students as much as possible through creating an environment where students feel comfortable sharing and discussing their thoughts with one another. I also explore the historical and sociological background of the books while relating it to student’s life experiences and passions. Doing so avoids learning becoming a task, but rather an experience where students can explore literature in a holistic way and express their own thoughts.
Helen G
I am currently completing an undergraduate degree in Biomedicine
Hobbies: I love reading all kinds of books! Some of my favourites are 1984, Jane Eyre and Harry Potter. Besides reading, I like to draw, bake and hang out with my family and friends.
My way of motivating students to learn: I do my best to foster lots of active discussion in my classes so students can bounce ideas off each other and gain various perspectives. In addition, I believe keeping an open mind and positive attitude is the key to success in English so I always encourage students to ask questions and think critically about the text they are studying.
Zoe
I study Bachelor of Science, I’m majoring in microbiology and pharmacology
Hobbies: I enjoy reading, writing, drawing and listening to podcasts
My way of motivating students to learn: By getting them excited and interested in learning about new ideas
Vera W
Currently completing a BSc in computer science and mathematics, previously completed a BAHons in history and philosophy
Hobbies: I love bushwalking, biking, and (of course) reading! For fiction I love sci-fi, fantasy, and detective stories, and for nonfiction I love reading about the history and philosophy of science.
How I motivate students to learn: My role is to present concepts and information in the most engaging, relevant, and (hopefully) surprising way possible, and to make sure that students know I am genuinely interested in their responses and genuinely invested in their success and growth. My goal is to make learning as enjoyable and useful as possible for them by creating a safe space for them to feel empowered to think critically, speculate boldly, and question freely, and show them tools to become stronger, kinder, and more open-minded thinkers.
Reason I enjoy tutoring: Guiding and facilitating learning in any discipline is just the most fun thing to me! I'm passionate about letting students make discoveries through books, and fascinated by their perspectives and insights.
Ikya T
I am currently completing an undergraduate double degree in international business and business at the university, with a major in Business Strategy and Economics.
Hobbies: I love travelling and exploring different cultures. I also enjoy nature and the outdoors, as well as reading whenever I can!
My way of motivating students to learn: I have realised that catering towards the interests of the students is the best way to pique their curiosity when studying. By first understanding what the students enjoy, I like to create lessons that incorporate such interests through activities like quizzes or debates.
Harry T
I am currently studying a Master of Public Health
Hobbies: Running, AFL and bouldering.
Reason I enjoy tutoring: I view it as a great privilege that I may be able to have a positive impact on students lives through helping them to improve their academic abilities and thus enhancing their chances of achieving higher results leading to more opportunities in their tertiary endeavours and beyond.
How I motivate students: I find the best way to motivate students is to be encouraging and demonstrate how the subject matter can actually be interesting and fun as opposed to feeling like an unwanted chore. This can be achieved, for example, through small maths games spaced throughout lessons.
Daniel Z
I recently completed a Bachelor of Arts (Specialising in History and Indigenous Studies) at the University of Melbourne. I am now employed as a full-time Instructional Designer and Technical Writer.
Hobbies: Movies and TV, powerlifting, video games, and reading.
My way of motivating students to learn: I believe that positive, honest feedback and engaging lesson plans are paramount to student’s learning. Personally, I think the most important aspect in motivating student’s learning is their state of mind. In order to learn, students must be confident that they can cultivate knowledge and skills. Consequently, I believe that both praise and criticism must be framed through a positive, encouraging basis. This will allow children to assess their strengths, limitations and means of improvement without becoming disheartened by tutor feedback. Furthermore, the use of praise will inspire students to hone and develop their abilities to an even greater extent. It is through positively, encouragingly framing assessment that students will become motivated and stay motivated to learn.
The creation of engaging lesson plans is equally important to a student’s learning and motivation. Simply put, students will not optimally develop skills and consolidate knowledge if lessons are arduous. For this reason, I believe it is important to engage students, by critically discussing the thematic, creative, and philosophical implications of any book we study. Children and youth are naturally inquisitive, creative and discerning. Because of this, I strongly believe that they will benefit from engaging with books on an abstract and critical level. Ultimately, satisfying the creative sustenance of students will also encourage their mechanical skills in grammar, writing, comprehension and syntax. For these reasons, engaging lesson plans play an integral role in the motivation of students.