Oxford Classics Undergraduate tutoring in A Level Latin, Greek, English & university application

Find out more about David

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

  I began to read Shakespeare from a young age, relishing any play I could find in production, on paper. I still know some scenes from Macbeth, from Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet by heart! So, A-Level English literature came quite naturally, although I surprised myself with full marks on the Pre-19th century Lit. paper! Throughout this time, I had nurtured a passion for (writing) poetry.
  
  
  
  And then I came across the Latin poets - Vergil, then Ovid, Catullus and Propertius. The epic throes of battle, the sorrowful partings, ancient rites and gods at play, outrageous expressions of love and hate - were all there, still undiscovered! A little later, I set my sights on Homer: I picked up a textbook and taught myself Classical Greek. In the end, I was writing my poetry in Latin, and publishing it in Alexandria, an Oxford Undergraduate Classics Magazine.
  
  
  
  Tutoring came quite naturally; when I was in school, I signed up for a Partnership Scheme to teach younger students from other schools in the local area… and I was thrilled! At the time, it was Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, but I realised I could teach what I loved most. A few days later, I was knocking on doors around my home, CVs in hand. I gained my first students like this! I would later realise the opportunity afforded by an online presence, but much has remained the same - the pragmatism, the excitement!

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

  Classical languages require a special dedication: to syntax, to vocabulary and inflection; it is a truth acknowledged by any student. But there is another truth by and large unrecognised, and this surprises me: that we can approach Latin and Greek as if they were living languages! I gained my fluency by listening to recordings of adapted, then original passages. I followed this by reading aloud to myself. It seemed only natural to me, and before long I could tell what kind of prose composition (a part of the GCSEs, A Levels and beyond) sounded right or not, just by instinct.
  
  
  
  It is this approach I like to inculcate in students, a subtle kind of responsiveness that, yes, depends on a grasp of conjugation, declension tables, and so on - but does not enforce at the expense of fluency. I try to give my students the confidence to approach these languages as naturally as possible; it enables a more lasting appreciation which, I hope, will culminate in reading the original literature.
  
  
  
  Teaching English is equally a pleasure for me. We discuss secondary scholarship on set-texts, compile resources on the major themes and main characters, answer provocative essay questions - all centred, of course, on exam preparation. I will share my own notes and quote-lists too. My tutorials are inspired by Oxford-style tuition, with the aim of imparting the critical skills needed for A* grades. But, in the end, it is a delight to follow the action of, say, The Duchess of Malfi, or sympathise with characters in Paradise Lost. I love the literature; teaching it is my reward.

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

  I was very fortunate to have a Latin teacher who introduced me to Cicero and Vergil. I remember, he had an immense map of ancient Rome in our classroom, and when a reference was made to a certain street or hill or circus, he would direct our gaze to the map and point it out. It seems a very simple thing now, but at the time it made the literature quite real, and impressive. He also supported me in my application to Oxford, and this experience is the one I would like to pass on.
  
  
  
  Mary Renault's historical fiction (The King Must Die, The Bull from the Sea) inspired me too. I would recommend her to anyone, but for a student of Classics, it should be part of the curriculum! She writes with such wisdom, and her imagination restores the ruins of Greece, churns the Mediterranean with oars and battle cries, leads you into another world…

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

  I learn very independently, so I have an appreciation for what may be a useful learning technique, or not. It also allows me to sympathise with a student's individual requirements, which is essential. Private tutorials are not school; they should be tailored lessons to address specific demands. Every lesson should count. I think I am (quite inadvertently) a generous tutor because I enjoy teaching so much! To have any good relationship with a student, this is vital. Isn't passion contagious?

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

  On a school trip to Greece, I asked my teachers if I could make a presentation about the Athenian agora on the following day. They, of course, accepted. I read into the night. When the time came, I stood before some eighty students from my school, and offered up what I had learnt - more than that, in fact. I asked them to follow me…
  
  
  
  We walked through the narrow pathways, the ruins up the hill to the temple of Hephaestus, the Bouleuterion, the Tholos, ending with the Stoa of Attalos. I introduced each place, the period of construction, the purpose, while encouraging my colleagues to imagine the architecture from what remained of the foundations. And where my research ended in speculation, I asked them to draw their own conclusions from the site. I succeeded in inspiring not only the students, but the teachers as well; on the following days, their presentations adopted my 'walk-through' approach!
  
  
  
  My teaching has hardly changed: I turn it into an adventure. I won't give my students a general map; I'll lead them myself, with dedication.

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

  Recently, I have dedicated my research to ritualistic culture in 5th century Greece; with the allusive nature of our written sources, and the scarce evidence of archaeology, achieving some sort of definition is a delicate task. But that is the challenge that motivates any Classicist, in the end: discerning the face of the ancient world, while it is obscured in shadows.

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

  While I love teaching, I have long dedicated myself to writing poetry. Perhaps, some day, a publication will appear in my name!

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

  I believe it is my commitment to my students. Recently, I pupil of mine applying for Oxford was not being supported by her subject teacher at school. Her well-researched essays to be submitted before her interviews were denied in favour of two pieces of comparatively lower quality (they were timed, classroom assessments) - the kind, in fact, Oxford advises against. Her teacher had no intention of signing off her better work, for some or other 'ethical' reason. I got in touch with Undergraduate admissions, my own professors, my favourite secondary school teacher, even the professors from the college to which she was applying. They all responded quickly, and I forwarded their emails to my student, which enabled her to ask another teacher from her school for support. After that, her application proceeded smoothly. This was two days prior to the deadline; I had acted at the right time. I care for my students. Their success is mine too.