Here’s how I’ve worked with some of my students
Student A could speak fluently and intelligently, but struggled to get his thoughts down on paper, to the extent that he had told himself he couldn’t write. His despairing mother asked me to try and help him get a Grade 5.
I began by listening to him, writing down what he said, feeding it back to him and getting him to write down his own words. After a few weeks, we would talk, then he would write. Together, we devised strategies for answering the exam questions which he could relate to. The hoped for Grade 5 became a Grade 8.
Student B’s Mum asked for help in English for her daughter because she ‘didn’t get it’ and was predicted a U. My approach was to set her small tasks and give her feedback to improve, focusing on the basics of writing about language. By the end of the term she was producing work in school at Grade 5 level, which she went on to achieve in summer.
Student C was bright but quite reserved so the speaking task was somewhat daunting for him. For his topic he chose to talk about a sport which he practised himself. It was essential his passion and enthusiasm came across. His audience would be his class, so I got him to think about what his young audience would find interesting, funny, and relatable. He found pictures to use which would entertain and inform.
The result was a Distinction. His teacher’s comment: ‘The secret to this task is preparation. That’s how it’s done’.