We recently caught up with one our US-based No Nonsense tutors, Natasha D, asking her a few questions about what she gets up to in her free time, her style of tutoring, and the motivation for purusing a career as a private tutor!

What are you up to at the moment outside of tutoring? And what proportion of your working time is spent tutoring?

My work has always centred around education and has mainly involved working in schools as an assistant or facilitator. Some of my more notable roles include working as a Forest School instructor for young children and a Special Educational Needs (SEN) tutor for A-Level students. After completing a Masters in Heritage Studies, I moved to the United States in 2021 and live in the sunshine state (Florida!) with my daughter, Holly, and fiance, Christian. When I’m not tutoring, I’m researching local schools and educational programmes to qualify myself as an Educator here in Florida. I have decided to pursue my career in education, specifically as an English or Humanities teacher in secondary schools. Familiarising myself with the American syllabus is my current priority! Online tutoring comprises the majority of my working time as it allows me to develop my academic skills whilst finding my feet in the local education system.

Why did you get into tutoring?

Tutoring was a way to express myself academically and creatively by igniting a passion in my favourite subjects for students. Having worked in a variety of roles with a diverse age range of students, I felt well equipped to become a private tutor. One-to-one sessions allowed me to support the student to the best of their ability and provide quality attention to their work. Watching students thrive and hearing about their improved performance in school is extremely rewarding. It is always a pleasure to support students with subjects they previously deemed “un-interesting” or “challenging”. I like to describe myself as a long-term tutor, as I believe these benefits are best reaped if consistency and attention is given over a long period of time, and it is my intention to uphold the role of tutor throughout the student’s school years.

What has been the most rewarding moment for you as a tutor thus far?

Watching a student’s academic ability grow from strength to strength has to be the most rewarding experience as a tutor. First and foremost, this is my main goal, and lessons are a joy when students become confident in their ability and tenacity of the subject. A former student of mine included a GCSE level English student who had a poor grasp of spelling and grammar. Her drive to write stories, however, was unmatched. Lessons became a time for Diya to unwind and write creatively, while we addressed the skills that needed sharpening. A student, who had formerly lacked any coherent creative writing skills, was able to write engaging and enticing stories with impressive skill, using literary techniques that we had learnt in our lessons.

How do you see tutoring improving tutees’ lives and prospects, as an addition to their mainstream education?

Alongside mainstream education, having a devoted tutor can be an invaluable tool for the student. One to one tuition is a bespoke service that is catered entirely to the child’s academic needs. I cover 3 subjects for one of my current students, and it is beneficial for me to have an intimate understanding of his performance in all three of said subjects. It allows me to tailor the lessons more generally towards areas that need improvement, such as grammar, or critical analysis. Using a multi-disciplinary approach can improve performance at school across a range of subjects as it is key skills that are being perfected during tuition sessions. Tutoring provides a great platform for content learning and content revision, but overall, it is exam technique that I strive to establish with my students.

What are your interests/hobbies? 

I’m an outgoing person and I’m always looking for new ways to spend time with my daughter. We enjoy exploring on long walks, visiting the beach and using the swings at the park. My personal time is spent cooking, drawing or reading about topics that interest me. My recent Masters, in Heritage Studies, reflects my love for history and my desire to preserve narratives of history with particular regard to education. This is one of the reasons why I am becoming a teacher, as I love to share my knowledge of the past with others.

And finally, what’s your main piece of advice for other tutors?  

My main piece of advice for other tutors is put your student at ease. I’ve had nervous students who may have felt too bombarded by work or tasks initially. I’ve learnt that sometimes approaching lessons slowly and getting to know the student and helping them relax creates an atmosphere which is much more conducive to learning!