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Hector
- Rate L197
- Response 24h
L197/hr
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- Creative writing
- Essay Writing
- Critical Thinking
Freelance writer and Classics postgraduate offering one-to-one in-person and online English Literature and Language guidance throughout East Lothian.
- Creative writing
- Essay Writing
- Critical Thinking
Lesson location
About Hector
I am a freelance researcher, writer, and editor, who regularly freelances original articles for publication in independent print publications and online journals and forums that focus on all manner of subjects, from humour and political satire to sport, science, and student mental health.
I have taught English on a part-time basis to English First and Second Language high-school students of various ages and abilities over the past 6 years. My practical experience includes voluntary English and football tuition at a Peruvian state secondary school with classes of between 20 and 30 students, as well as personal one-to-one essay-writing tuition with a prospective university ESL student, where we communicated in our second languages via remote media such as messenger and Skype – which was both challenging and fun in equal measure!
My most recent main employment was as a Content Writer for the School of Marketing in London, where I researched and developed digital educational courses for aspiring young marketeers. I continue to research and write pedagogical case study scripts for use in the curricula of Business Management and Marketing undergraduates at Pearson College London.
I have a master’s degree in Classics, where I focused on Graeco-Roman comedy (which is as bawdy and ballsy as any modern equivalent), plus ancient fantasy, fiction, and poetry. I also studied the Ancient Greek language (yikes!) for a number of years, where I encountered the foundational principles of the English language, from grammar and syntax to vocabulary and style.
It is these foundational principles and experiences that I readily integrate into my teaching.
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About the lesson
- Lower Secondary
- Senior Secondary
- Bachelor's Degree
- +1
levels :
Lower Secondary
Senior Secondary
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
- English
All languages in which the lesson is available :
English
My first true love was the English language. I was always fascinated by both literature and linguistics, from the wacky wordplays of Huckleberry Finn to the odd etymologies of words themselves. I went on to read Classics at university, where I learnt about the grammar, syntax, and etymologies plus the (foundational) tragedies, comedies, myths and legends of the English language itself.
Did you know that J. K. Rowling was a Classics student? So many of the fabulous spells, species, and characters that we encounter in the wizarding world of Harry Potter are inspired by the languages and legends of Rowling’s Classical education. There is a passage in the final book of the series (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) that has always stuck with me, where wise old Dumbledore turns to Harry and says: “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.”
I, in my not-so-humble opinion, agree. Think about that: there is a magic inside of each and every one of us ‘Muggles’ that is just waiting to be discovered, whether we know it yet or not. My job is to facilitate this discovery.
I believe that the written word is an extension of our true authentic voice, and I am saddened when I see or hear this voice tampered or tinkered with. Such interference is an affront to who we are. I am here to help my students find their own unique voice, and I love nothing more than to see a young person discover the ‘magic’ that was inside of them all along – and unleash it!
I offer one-to-one in-person and online tuition with GCSE, A-Level, and undergraduate students of all abilities and aspirations who wish to develop their English language and literature skills in either a creative and/or academic capacity. I work under the proviso that no two lessons are the same, because the wants and needs of no two students the same. I structure my lessons to be tailored to the particular student, and together we will adjust and adapt each our teaching/learning dynamic as we encounter these specific wants and needs one at a time.
With these guiding principles in mind, my lessons tend to follow a basic structure as detailed below:
1. I like to first get to know my student, and (together with the student) explore a. how they think and b. what they think about. This presents the student with a first chance to connect with his or her true authentic voice, and also allows us to together determine which teaching/learning methods (e.g. word association, mind maps, art, etc.), forms (e.g. poetry, songs, short stories, novels, etc.), and styles (e.g. expository, descriptive, persuasive, narrative, etc.) might be best suited to the student’s voice and mode of thinking.
2. I like to then discuss with my student which specific aspects or features of their English language or literature skills they would like to focus on and develop throughout our lessons together. This aspect could relate to the student’s creative and/or academic writing of any shape, size or form, from how to improve a specific writing technique to how to best approach an entire essay question. This stage provides myself and my student with a specific objective that we can a. plan our future lessons around and b. apply our teaching/learning methods towards.
3. From here I like to design future lessons that aim at the achievement of our agreed upon objective(s) through the best application of our agreed upon teaching/learning methods. However, a structural fundament of my lessons is that I like to integrate the principles of creative and academic writing together. Remember, both our creative and academic writing are extensions of the same true authentic voice – and it is accessing this voice that is the most important part of our work together!
4. I like to then conclude each lesson by determining a. a specific short-term goal to work towards for the next lesson and b. a practical exercise that aids the achievement of that goal (e.g. ‘practice one basic writing technique’ or ‘go for a walk and write about what you see’). Each short-term goal (plus complimentary practical exercise) will be designed to feed into the larger objective(s) of our lessons together.
Most importantly, I would be failing at my job if we didn’t have fun! English is not just a subject, it’s a vital tool in life – and one from which we can derive much joy and success. Little is more important than the ability to express oneself freely and without fear. This is a privilege for which I will fight – always. A young person's full potential is truly unleashed when he or she comes to master his or her own unique voice, and this mastery comes through the enjoyment at the power and freedom of that voice. Yes, practice makes perfect. But enjoyment makes magic.
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Rates
Rate
- L197
Pack prices
- 5h: L438
- 10h: L766
online
- L197/h
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