Rebecca C
"Rebecca encouraged my children to explore their own thoughts and feelings in response to the world, its dangers, moral complexities and beauties, helping them grow beyond just what a normal English curriculum offers."
Primary and Middle School English
A Level
English Language
English Literature
GCSE
IB
IGCSE
Oxbridge Applications
Primary
Academic History
MPhil Renaissance Literature, University of Cambridge (2009)
BA (Hons.) English (First Class), University of Oxford (2006)
About Me
As a young, independent-minded student, a thirst for knowledge and an ambition to see the world led me to seek out teachers I could aspire to. Qualities of hospitality, acuity, compassion, humour and radical thinking were among those that I found and revered in my tutors at Oxford, while the relativism of truth and knowledge claims were what fascinated me the most. A relentless seeker and thorough sceptic, my journeys through South East Asia and India in the study of yoga brought me to encounter the method of self-inquiry of Advaita Vedanta. Self in the Eastern sense refers beyond the ego or individual towards the collective, common welfare; the upliftment of humanity. It is this experience and understanding that shapes my teaching philosophy and practice.
As a student of language, to gain greater understanding I go to the heart of things. Radical means just this from radux, the root. Looking deeply into origins and causes, with awe and humility for the vast, complex and ever-changing interconnectedness of things, reveals new possibilities, offers new insights and opportunities to recreate. A close observer of nature, I find this most vividly portrayed in the field of mycology where fungi dwells on the hinterland between life and death, creating not ex-nihilo (as etymology suggests) but recycling. Equally, in the translations and transliterations of mythology across cultures, time and space, we see stories re-cycling: themes, symbols, characters recurring; the same basic, fundamental questions being addressed in recognisably similar, borrowed or appropriated responses. To get to the root of things is to understand first principles. Here a recognition takes place, a moment of anagnorisis, an awakening, a paradigm shift: we re-cognise, make another turn of the cognitive wheel expand knowledge and understanding.
As a tutor, flexibility and the ability to think on my feet has always been essential. Taking a Socratic approach, I guide my students to develop curiosity, critical thinking and responsibility in their responses. The ability to respond to new information or perspectives is crucial. Thus, while I have many years’ experience to draw upon, I am attentive to the culture, strengths and receptivity of the student. Having worked with a number of neurodivergent students, I appreciate that we do not all encounter stimuli in the same way, and that tried and test methods may simply not apply. My patience, curiosity and facility for communicating and appreciating nuance allows me to meet my students where they are and progress towards greater comprehension, dexterity and awareness of the complexity of the field, as well as an excitement for the other puzzles or challenges that lie ahead and a confidence to meet them. It is my experience that putting the student, their holistic development and well-being at the centre of the learning project achieves excellent results in line with external objectives without privileging objectives at the expense of the student. In this way, I seek to manage expectations and mentor my students to see the long-term education and development of the whole person. Managing does not always mean limiting, but expanding expectations beyond mere academic criteria to encompass humanitarian or spiritual aims. Thus, for me, education is not merely about imparting the known but about seeking liberation from fear of the unknown to achieve greater wisdom and practice as members of a collective.
Recent tuition
English Early Years Math and English, including Phonics
On a residential placement in Italy, I worked with a 5 year old student in the midst of relocating from Hong Kong to London mid-pandemic. As she had had her learning halted, she needed to catch up in her phonics acquisition and sight reading in order to enter more seamlessly into her new school. Anxious and heartbroken to leave her home and friends in HK, I integrated play, song and art into our lessons, varying the tasks to keep her stimulated, engaged and relaxed while we tackled the syllabus. Using visually appealing materials and short educational media, I helped her build skills in basic arithmetic and vastly improved her proficiency in reading in the three week placement.
English Literature and Language
I have tutored twin boys in Hong Kong from the ages of 2 until 14 years old, as I have a long-standing relationship with his family who I first met in 2009 when I did a residential placement for them in Shanghai. A high-profile family living in the Peak, the boys attend Singapore International School and are expected to achieve only perfect results. In consequence, I have been employed as the boys’ private tutor whenever I am in HK and have studied all many of subjects and books with the boys in order to build their reading comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking and writing skills. With one boy fascinated by the natural world and the other interested in history, I tailored my classes to engage them while developing their skills. I formed strong relationships with both boys who it is always a pleasure to work with and am always welcomed by the family whose three grown-up daughters I taught all those years ago.
IGCSE English Language (Edexcel)
I tutored this Hong Kong student attending an English boarding school for nine months, during which time we worked to improve his reading comprehension and writing for the examination. He was scoring a level 4 when I met him and he achieved a Grade 6 in the final exam. Due to his second-language struggles, we worked to improve his vocabulary, strength his grasp of grammar and ensure he knew exactly what was demanded of him for each question. He worked very hard and we established a great rapport. His father recommended me to other families whose children I am now tutoring through Yr 10 and 11 GCSEs.
IGCSE English Language (CIE)
I tutored this student in Hong Kong for two years, working with her mainly online post-pandemic with her English coursework and exam preparation. When she received her results, I heard from her: “I got an A for English thanks so you! I cannot believe it because I was a C student at the start of the year but you helped me so much with my coursework and papers that boosted my grades so much. I can’t express my gratitude enough and I’m just so thankful for your help!” In the end, her grade was upgraded to an A*. Her mother was very happy and has recommended me to other parents who children I now teach.
SEN GCSE English
This young lady came to me for general English GCSE instruction presenting signs of dyslexia, struggling with spelling mistakes and seemingly unable to remember when we went over them. I initiated conversation with her mother that revealed that the student had developmental delay as an infant due to a difficult birth and had also recently been diagnosed with dyslexia. Realising my suspicions were accurate, I went about putting strategies in place to help the student gain confidence and facility in writing while gradually acquiring the tools she needed for greater accuracy. Making spelling a priority and part of our regularly routine helped the student to improve in this area and for us to move on more quickly with the other parts of the curriculum she needed to cover. Understanding her needs removed any stress that might otherwise have been present and allowed me to put in place strategies to help with her specific difficulties, while getting to know her interests allowed me to tailor our reading and writing to topics that she was naturally motivated for. Since learning requires a holistic approach. I always take the whole person into consideration, knowing that each student with dyslexia or another other diagnosis exhibits differently. Therefore, even as certain guiding strategies and proven tools may be helpful in a large number of cases, it depends upon the good relationship of teacher and student. I aim to be as flexible in my approach as my student is unique in their learning journey, always seeking new ways to help the child under my supervision to acquire the tools that will best help them progress and fulfil their full potential.
A-Level English Literature
This student came to me requesting help with her A-Level English Literature exams, in particular, poetry. We worked together for two months before her exams to increase her knowledge of her set texts and her confidence with unseen poetry. A student with dyslexia, she required more time and patience to absorb and translate information, yet with my precise and clear guidance she did well in her final exams and her mother took me on to teach her younger siblings when they were going through their GCSE course exams.
IB Diploma
This student came to me as a first year student, struggling to make the jump up from GCSE to IB. She was unsure and under confident of her skills in English and Literature, being a science student aspiring to go to London to study biochemistry. I worked closely with her for two years, meeting regularly each week or more when an assessment or deadline was approaching. I not only helped her on her literary set texts – A Dollhouse, Antigone, etc – but also on unseen commentary, and Theory of Knowledge. She prospered well under my guidance and with my support. She achieved a 9 in some of her ToK work, achieving overall the highest grade (A), and 7s in both her English and Literature, as well as 40/40 in her English speaking exam, and is now at KCL studying biomedical science. We regularly stay in touch having developed a close mentoring relationship, while her mother recommended me to her younger cousins who I am now also leading through IB Dip.
University Entrance
Working with advanced students of English, I have helped several through Pre-U and prepared them for entry to the top universities. One student in particular, I had tutored from a young age, working with her to achieve Oundle Scholarship. When her mother asked me to help her with Pre-U and Oxbridge Entrance Exams I was delighted to work with her again to prepare her for the rigours of reading, critical thinking and writing that such exams demand. Introducing her to extracts from a great range of authors from across English literary history and society was stimulating and rewarding, and she showed such enthusiasm for our classes that she even thought to change her major from Law to English Literature. Having been educated in the Oxford tutorial system myself, I know precisely the kinds of opportunities and challenges that close discussion and analysis brings, and bring this richly engaging and intellectually demanding quality to my work. Drawing texts into interesting relationships and showing how they still speak to us on important human questions today is part of the joy of my work, as is helping young minds think critically and engage meaningfully on issues of the utmost importance. To equip students with the ability to discern and express themselves clearly is to help them navigate the world with ease and efficacy.
Undergraduate
During the pandemic, I was taken on to teach a second year student in London who was struggling with her Chaucer component after receiving little to no teaching and support. I went through The Tales with her, introducing her to the context, rules of language and grammar, and engaging her with the themes at work. We studied together for several months and she went on to do very well in this part of her degree course.
Hobbies
A lover of movement, nature and art, I spend my free time walking, swimming or writing. I also enjoy cooking, gardening and everything that brings me awake to my senses and allows me to enjoy the abundance of life. As a practitioner of yoga, I have travelled and lived abroad, notably India and currently Bali, and I have taught yoga to both children and adults. I bring this practice of conscious awareness and enquiring attention with me into my teaching, encouraging my students to have an interest in and care for the natural world and humanity.
Testimonials
“Overall, my son has accelerated in his studies and this positive relationship with his tutor has set him on the right path for a lifelong love of learning. Meanwhile, my daughter has had such excellent grounding in literary analysis and been exposed to some of the foundational texts of English Literature that I do not doubt her love of reading will continue to thrive.
Having lessons with Rebecca formed a harmonious part of our weekends and we were sorry to say goodbye when she left Hong Kong this summer. Our last few lessons were held in our home over a long lunch where we, again, got to explore more about her and welcome her more warmly into our family. Her love of and experiences in travelling, as well as her interests in yoga and spirituality, clearly have a profound effect on her world-views and educational values. She is a gentle and enlightened being and an excellent role model for young people, being organised and self-sufficient yet open-minded and enquiring. There is no sense in which she knows too much or too little, as she wears her credentials lightly and entertains ease and humility that are to be admired.”
English – Middle Years programme (Hong Kong) the children were aged 8 and 12 years old at that time; they are now 15 and 19 years of age.
“I was always happy with Becky’s work, confident that she knew her subject expertly, and — always had the help and support she needed. This is especially true of the move up to IB English Literature, which was a wholly new and difficult subject for –. — had not studied Literature at IGCSE and I worried about how she would handle it, particularly in writing long essays. However, Becky started to prepare for this early, while she was still teaching in Hong Kong, and continued online via Skype, when they would discuss and analyse the texts, plan essays and talk through –‘s drafts. I saw the amount of time and work Becky and — gave to these studies and was very impressed and grateful.
I think it was Becky’s enthusiasm and dedication that inspired — to embrace English Literature and to do as well as she did. For the IB, — also had to study Theory of Knowledge and come up with her own essays on this, something which she struggled with. After Becky left Hong Kong it was not easy to find another tutor as qualified or personable; — had established a strong relationship with her, and it was hard starting with a new tutor. Luckily Becky agreed to help as much as possible long distance and so, even while she was in India, continued to work with –, discussing the essays and redrafting them together. I believe Becky to be a tutor whose interests and abilities range broadly, as she could help — with these ethical and scientific questions in the TOK, gaining more insight and understanding of the issues and presenting much clearer, well-structured answers. Again, I saw the work put in, as well as the hours, and I am grateful that — had such a dedicated teacher and mentor.”
English Language IGCSE, IB English Literature, Theory of Knowledge and University Application essays
