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Find out more about Alex

• 1) When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  While I was living and working in Auckland, New Zealand in 2017 I looked for a side-hustle to earn a bit more money to supplement my other incomes and realised that teaching English to foreign students was in high demand. I have also always enjoyed language as a way to express oneself and connect with others from multiple backgrounds.

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  Over the 8 years I have been a tutor, I have been exposed to a range of learning needs from a wide spectrum of students of ages and backgrounds. In particular, I have taught individuals looking to past English tests including the IELTS and PTE, which are required to move abroad and attain visas in countries such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. I also teach academic English to University/College students, prepare younger school pupils for school examinations, and more recently, have been niching-out to tutor individuals the art of interview preparation and separating themselves to land their dream role.

• 3) Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  I follow many influencers online who are excellent at utilising communication through English to command the attention of their audiences and provide life advice. I follow individuals including Steven Bartlett, Jordan Peterson and Chris Williamson who teach me how to effectively grow my skillset, not just in the area of English but soft skills and personal development.

• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  To be a successful teacher, I believe it requires a balance between having a strong foundational knowledge of your chosen subject area, while also having proven experience resulting in positive results for students and yourself. A growth mindset helps you to pursue mastery as a teacher. Above all, you must lean-in to your unique attributes, what sets you apart from the crowd and use this to deliver maximum value to your students. What makes me stand-out is a mix of skills - I learned to be resourceful, open-minded and approachable through travel, communicate effectively to impress clients when working in London as a marketing executive and understand what is truly required to run a successful self-employed English tutoring business through thousands of hours of trial and error.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  When I was 14-years old in middle school back in England, we had hand-writing classes every week. This involved connecting letters together and following the rules of handwriting, but for most students, it was a tricky skill to master. I, however, found a natural ability to join my letters together and this separated me from the rest of the class. One lesson, I completed my hand-writing activity and my teacher was so impressed that she complimented me in front of the whole group and allowed me to finish early.

• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  One clear challenge I experience is helping students upskill all areas of their English because it is such a huge job. It works better if sessions are focussed on a particular area. I believe my job is to teach my clients to take responsibility for their learning journey, which is easier said than done. This requires a careful approach that motivates and calls them to act on lesson learnings through scheduled, focussed and considered practice after class. Reminding them of what they might lose out on if they don't study helps keep them motivated.

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I am passionate about self-growth and being one's own boss in various areas of life including learning new skills and professionally in our careers. Becoming self-reliant and open minded creates opportunities and these values are mirrored in the way I structure my lessons for students where the learning experience is shared.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

  I love to help others while learning at the same time and meeting new people. It's a win-win for me.