Katherine S

In the first lesson I like to informally assess my students. I usually ask to look through some past essays before the first lesson and then I like to have a discussion about the text they are currently studying, to gauge how well they interact and enjoy the text. I am not opposed to homework but I also appreciate that students have a lot of homework as it is so my homework policy depends on the student and their family. I think one of the best ways to improve your English Literature ability is to read more, so often encourage my students to read other texts in their spare time. In turns of lesson plans, this again depends on the student. I like to start by recapping the last session and laying out what we are going to tackle this week. Some students prefer lots of smaller tasks to keep them focused and engaged. However, other students enjoy concentrating on a particular text, area or weakness for an entire session. Either way, I try to get my students writing essay style submission each week so that paragraph structure, good grammar and clarity become instinctive.

I have undertaken an online course about the various English Literature and Language GCSE exams. I took these exams myself and whilst the grading system is now different, the mark schemes is almost identical.