Henry - private tuition in GCSE and A Level History - Bath, UK based

Find out more about Henry

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

  It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve been interested in private tutoring for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories involve ‘teaching’ my younger brother in Maths and English! I’ve always been interested in teaching, instructing, coaching, helping others achieve their very best. I’ve been a professional private tutor for twenty years, helping students with their A level English and History, inspiring actors to find their creative selves, and coaching individuals, from all sorts of backgrounds and areas of business, to feel more confident when speaking in public. 


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


  
I have a portfolio career. As well as being a private tutor, I’m an actor working in theatre, TV, and film. I run a theatre company, Infinite Jest, which works with younger audiences (aged 5 to 18) – we provide curriculum-supporting drama-based workshops in primary and secondary schools; we run drama camps during the school holidays; and we produce shows. I also work in the field of corporate communication as a facilitator and role player – providing communications training/coaching to companies wishing to find ways to communicate more effectively amongst themselves and with their clients.
  The two main strands there are teaching – getting the best out of someone – and communication. Those are my passions.

• 3) Describe your own understanding of "personal development" and what can it bring in the short and long-term?

  Personal development is a lifelong task and I certainly hope I’ll be learning and changing and being inquisitive to the end! It’s about understanding oneself, what drives us, motivates us, what our passions are, how we come across, what our habits are etc – and then being very open to changing, trying something different, experiencing a new way of behaving, communicating, expressing oneself.
  Personal development is about learning the tools to self-motivate, self-educate, become self-reliant
  It’s about getting to a place where one is happy in one’s own skin, being true to oneself, being authentic

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

  I have been very fortunate indeed to have had had wonderful teachers. I loved all my history teachers and they were the reason I did History at University. They were fun, passionate, dramatic (I adored it when they became the characters they were teaching us about!), enthusiastic, and entirely encouraging of my development as a historian. I always wanted to act and had fabulous acting teachers who inspired my creativity. And I now work with many creative people who constantly inspire my with their passion, focus, determination, and good humour.

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

  See above! And add – really good listening skills, curiosity, reliability, and a drive to get the best out of someone, push them, gently, into the ‘unknown’!
  And never forget the tutor is on a learning curve too. 


• 6) What are some practical tips to help improve self-confidence?

  One of the best tips that I use is to get a piece of A4, draw a line down the middle; at the top left write “FACTS”, on the top right “STORIES”. Then listen to that voice in the head that says “you can’t do this”, “you’re rubbish at that” “they’re going to laugh at you” etc – write all those statements down under stories. Then tell that voice to be quiet! And think about the facts, the things that have actually happened. Did they laugh? No, they actually applauded you, gave you great feedback. Did you fail? No, you got through it; you secured another contract; they laughed not AT you but WITH you. Etc etc. Write this down under FACTS.
  We all have that voice; we need to tame it, keep it under control. And a very good starting point is to point the facts at it. 



• 7) What are your hobbies and what benefits do they have on your motivation?

  Playing the piano is one of my favourite hobbies. I also play golf, tennis, and football. They remind me that practise makes perfect, and that it’s essential to get outside everyday and exercise!