English Tutor - Stephanie Tupaea

It's been a while since I've posted, but I'm still tutoring. Most of my lessons are contracted out, but I'm also teaching five students of my own, mostly in preparation for Senior Cambridge exams. I have to be careful about taking too much on, so I'm currently not taking on any more students. I am happy to put you on a waiting list though, and my marking/consultation services are still available.

If you are a home educator and looking for some fresh ideas or ways to tailor English to your child's needs, then please reach out. Likewise, if your child has written an essay or creative writing description and you'd like to know where it sits and ways to improve it, then please reach out. I am passionate about the subject and have lots of expertise to share!

I offer group classes, as well as one on ones. It's a more affordable option, and students can benefit from the contributions of their peers.

One challenge I can run into though, especially in the teenage years, is participation. A lot of students are shy or lacking in confidence. Some are worried they will get the 'answer wrong', so they give the floor to the confident people in the group.

The trouble with this is its inequity, and how it makes it hard to assess learning. My teaching philosophy has an emphasis on student agency and active learning. I want to HEAR from my students. Their voice is important to me, and I truly believe they have more to offer than they probably realise. So how do I get them to engage? What strategies do I use? I am going to share three.

1. Pear Deck
Pear Deck is an interactive presentation, with drawing, writing, and dragging slides. Students are involved and are working in my lessons, but the cherry on top, is the fact that their responses are anonymous. If they make a mistake, their peers won't know it was them. It takes the fear away. You might be thinking, but how do you know who it is to assess them? Sometimes I can tell and sometimes I can't, but that's okay. Students have assignments through Google Classroom to do anyway, so individualised feedback is a given. Sometimes students will even write their names on the slides in a moment of confidence and pride :)

2. Spin wheels
I put all the students' names in a spin wheel, and spin. I ask the students a question that is deliberately contentious and relating to some idea in a text we are studying. Students might struggle with a comprehension question, but few of them struggle with an opinion question. It's great for showcasing different points of view and fostering empathy. Sharing their opinion is less scary than answering the daunting question of how the text crafts a message. It can take some time to get through everyone, but it's an effective way to select them, because it's fair. The names are generated at random and everyone has a turn. I'm not appearing to pick on anyone. Within a couple of goes of using this, students have more confidence about participating, and will often just put their hands up, without needing the spin wheel.

3) Wait time
Some students won't answer your questions straight away. It could be shyness, needing time to process the question or just really not knowing what the answer is. But the answer is not in jumping in to rescue them. It's in waiting. And then waiting some more. It feels awkward. I always feel the pull to want to jump in with the answer, but I don't. Eventually, someone or a few people will speak up, because they can't stand the silence anymore. Over time, they will learn that the expectation is to participate. Sometimes the classroom culture you aspire to takes time to develop. I am committed to my vision for teaching and learning.

I have a Cambridge AS Language group, and a Cambridge IGCSE Literature group that have available spots! All of the current students are homeschooled and privately enrolled as exam candidates in nearby schools. Later on in the year, I will be delivering a group course called 'A Beginner's Guide to Biblical Imagery'. It's for 13-16 year old's, who are homeschooled. For more info about its content, or either of the Cambridge groups above, please visit my website.

Teaching online means that I can connect with students anywhere! There's no inconvenience or money spent in having to travel out to each other, and you can learn from the comforts of your own home. Check out my Kiwi students below. One of them isn't on there, as she is in Zimbabwe at the moment, but due to the brilliance of technology, I am still able to teach her.

Should you teach students all the jargon like metaphors, proper nouns, and intransitive verbs? Yes and no.

The main considerations need to be the students' readiness and whether introducing such terminology will actually be beneficial.

Today I'm delivering a lesson on simple sentences and sentence fragments. I'm not going to talk about intransitive and transitive verbs specifically, but I will use child friendly speech to teach the concept. I will ask them what dependence means and relate it to their lives. Then I will connect that idea to the way that some verbs (transitive verbs) need or depend on an object to make sense. This way, the kids won't drown in unnecessary jargon.

This doesn't mean that we never introduce terms; rather, we exercise discernment about when and what types of terms we teach. The class above will explicitly be taught the terms of subject, verb and object, because it's necessary to teach them other things and it's age appropriate.

I'm also making sure that I don't preface the learning with jargon, which, let's face it, is very passive and dull. Instead, I'm beginning the lesson by using novelty and intrigue. I'm relating it to their lives. After I've done this, I can safely teach terminology because they are engaged and they understand what I'm talking about.

American curriculums can be very thorough with their teaching of language, and from an early age. The New Zealand education system can sometimes not be robust enough. There's a good balance in between that I like.

According to Pear Deck, I'm an 'Inspearational educator' 😁 This certificate is given to educators who meet certain criteria, such as frequency and method of use.

Because of all the lockdowns, there have been quite a few complaints about online learning, which I totally understand! But online learning can be fun and effective; it just requires preparation and leveraging tools well-tailored to young people.

I've had a well needed rest during the holidays and now I'm raring to go and excited for all the learning ahead 😍

And that's a wrap on Term 1! Wow, what a busy term and certainly a surprise!

This term I've taught language, creative writing, literature and film - how lucky am I?!

The students have been truly delightful - always polite and hardworking - a teacher's dream!

I'm looking forward to the Easter break to rest and spend time with family, before getting back to it in Term 2. Next term I won't be offering homeschooling courses, as my family commitments warrant balance, but I will still be tutoring, particularly seniors in preparation for Cambridge exams.

I hope you and your families have a blessed and happy Easter. Glory to Jesus Christ for laying down his life for all of mankind.

Want to know what type of assessment feedback I can provide?

This is a recent example from my Year 7 and 8 Key Language Skills Course. Each category is broken down in detail, with strengths and areas for improvement noted. On the next page of the Progress Report, I also make an overall comment on the child's attitude towards learning and broader observations of readiness.

My attitude has always been that assessment (even summative) is FOR learning, so feedforward is a necessity. To me, it's not just about growing their English ability, but nurturing their passion for life-long learning. Intelligence isn't a fixed commodity; it's grown through persistence and a curious mindset: "Our studies show that teaching people to have a growth mindset, which encourages a focus on effort rather than intelligence or talent, helps make them into high achievers in school and in life" (Carol Dweck, n.d.)

Note: the child's name has been redacted for their privacy and permission has been obtained.

English Tutor – English Tutor Online English Tutoring for Year 7 - 13 students NCEA and Cambridge exam preparation, remedial support and courses for homeschooled students. Book now Kia ora Engaging lessons Online and interactive lessons More info Affordable pricing As little as $19 per week More info Experienced teacher Six year...

Next week is all about Creative Writing 🖊 My Year 7 & 8 and Year 10 & 11 courses are starting. There are still spaces available, especially for the latter. The times are as follows:

Year 7 & 8:
Monday and Tuesday at 11am

Year 10 & 11:
Monday and Wednesday at 10am

Two assignments are given each week, with them both due on Friday to give me enough time to mark and return them before the following week.

The price is $19 per week or $95 for the entire course.

I have the Course Schedule available for those wanting a detailed learning sequence.

Why am I a teacher?

The closest word to describe my motivation might be enjoyment, but it's more than that. The feeling I get when I'm encouraging a student and explaining something to them is a feeling like no other. I feel like I'm where I'm meant to be. Like I'm living out my purpose in life.

Something I love to say to students when I'm teaching similes is that we are all unique. I ask the students to observe a picture of something in nature and ask themselves what it's like. I'm always surprised by the varied responses I get. If it's a picture of a sun for instance, some might say it's a star or a pearl or a diamond. If it's a picture of branches, some might say a spider web, hair, string or fingers.

This is a prime opportunity to connect to their hearts and encourage them to see their uniqueness as a writer. To see why they should have confidence about their potential. This is what teaching is to me: Leveraging the subject to inspire and instill hope. From my experience, this is what our students need, possibly even the most.

1 week done and dusted for my two homeschooling courses.

There is still one spot left in my Year 7 and 8 Key Language Skills course and four spots in my Year 11 Key Language Skills course. If you are interested, please get in touch.

Unfortunately I am fully booked with one-on-ones and can't accommodate any more at the current time.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

The return to school this year has been met with a lot of uncertainty, confusion and anxiety.

Families want normality for their children, because they have experienced first-hand the effects of such disrupted learning.

For the past two years, I have taught during the pandemic and what I've learned has been transformative to my teaching philosophy.

Please click on the link below to find out how 👇

What I’ve learned from teaching through the Covid-19 pandemic – English Tutor What I’ve learned from teaching through the Covid-19 pandemic Leave a Comment / Online learning / By Stephanie Tupaea What I've learned from teaching through the Covid-19 pandemic I’ve taught the entire way through the pandemic and what I’ve learned has shaped my pedagogy forever. Teaching at ...

My most popular homeschooling course so far has been the one that came from my inquiry around language.

My Key Language Skills course is available from Year 7 to 13, but targets different skills, based on the curriculum level they are operating at. Grammar, punctuation, syntax and parts of speech are all covered in varying complexity, making it a great precursor to my writing courses: Persuasive writing and creative writing.

The mechanics and fundamentals of language are so important, because we otherwise can't write fluently and for effect.

I like to couch the teaching of language in mentor texts: sentences and paragraphs of writing that showcase excellent craft. There's no better way to learn than by an inspiring model, and I love experiencing a student's sense of pride when their sentence or paragraph is chosen for display and discussion.

My upcoming Year 7 & 8 Key Language Skills course is looking like it will be fully booked, and I already have interest for another intake in five weeks time. If you or someone you know might be interested, please send me a message so I can provide you with the course information.