Rachael B.

Based in the Eastern suburbs, I am a VCE English teacher with 8 years experience teaching in the classroom, and 4 years of private tutoring experience before this. I love being able to participate in the 'light bulb' moment when a student understands how to express their own idea more articulately. Every young person has their own story, ideas, style of expression and learning process and I am always adapting my teaching approach to suit the learning needs of the student. My VCE students have received study scores in the 40s because I operate on the basis that every student's success is measured from where they began. Thus, my focus on ascertaining their current ability through discussion and writing prompts in order to scaffold to the next skills. Having taught film, plays, memoirs, short story collections and novels I am well versed in the various text constructions included in the VCE English text list. I use a Gradual Release of Responsibility Approach. This means I will discuss the task with the student using open questions, model the skill involved, brainstorm and phrase ideas collaboratively with the student before handing over the reigns. This approach works best if the student is prepared with an understanding of the task and follows the tutoring session with a submission for feedback from me at a later time. My students' feedback is that I explain concepts clearly in a way they understand, and this 'penny-drop' moment is what drives me in my teaching journey.