IB English Teacher & Examiner with Head of English Department experience; holds MA in English Linguistics and BA in English Language and Literature; has 7+ years of IB MYP/ IBDP/ IGCSE/ AP teaching experience.
Tutor Bio
I am an IB English examiner who has graded Paper 1, Paper 2, and IO. I have 7+ years of teaching experience in IB MYP, IBDP, IGCSE, and AP. I have taught students from different areas in the world, from Asia, such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, to North America and the UK. I help students with their reading and analytical skills, such as identifying literary devices, developing interpretations of the implications of the text, analyzing writers' intentions and the social context of the work, evaluating the nuance of the texts insightfully, etc. Besides, I provide detailed feedback for students to improve their writing and oral skills and give them constructive instructions to prepare for the exams. As an open-minded teacher and instructor of English language and literature, I aim to promote in students an enjoyment of lifelong interest in English language and literature, as well as develop their international-mindedness as global citizens through studying languages, ideas, and issues of global significance.
Tutor Introduction
Teaching Experience
2020-Present@ Shanghai Pinghe School, Shanghai, China
IBDP, MYP English Teacher
Teach Pre-DP G10 English Language Acquisition, and
IBDP G11, G12 English B Language Acquisition (SL/HL). Collaborate with IB Coordinator to oversee curriculum, teacher appraisal, and professional activities. I’m also a Grade leader for G11.
2017-Present @ International Baccalaureate Organization
IBDP English A Language and Literature Examiner
Assess IBDP Oral and Written Exams sent from IBO on an annual
basis since being qualified.
2018-2020 @ Kang Chiao International School, Kunshan, China
IB English Teacher / Head of IB English Department
Taught IB MYP G8, G9 English Language Acquisition,
IBDP G11/12 English B Language Acquisition (HL), and
IBDP G11/12 English A Language and Literature (SL/HL). Collaborated with MYPC/DPC assisting in promoting inclusive education, and curriculum development and facilitating unit planning.
2015-2018 @ NTK Academic Group, Hong Kong
IB English Teacher / IB English Coordinator
Taught IB MYP G8-10 English Language and Literature,
IBDP G11/12 English B Language Acquisition (HL),
IBDP G11/12 English A Language and Literature (SL/HL), CIE English 1st Language, and TOK/EE. Coordinated IB English Department, worked on curriculum alignment, and designed training and assessment manuals.
Education
The University of Sunderland, Sunderland, United Kingdom
Secondary School English Specialization
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Master of Arts, English Linguistics Program
Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
Bachelor of Arts, Major in English Language and Literature. Minor in French.
Teaching Skills
Diploma Programme
English Language A Language and Literature HL
English Language A Language and Literature SL
English Language A Literature HL
English Language A Literature SL
English Language B HL
English Language B SL
Extended Essay (EE)
Individual Oral (IO)
Middle Years Programme
English
Tutor Teaching Style
I anchor my pedagogy primarily in two interrelated principles as below, which constantly remind me how to become a language teacher/ tutor whose teaching styles and techniques are evolving daily and who, leading by example, adopts the perspectives of a perpetual learner.
The first one is to adopt an individualistic teaching/ evaluating approach. I value the individuality of each one of my students, which allows me to use different teaching methods in my lesson. I use texts, pictures, podcasts, peer assessment, or WebQuest to help students be more engaged in my class and explore the ways that students are most comfortable with to help them achieve the best result more efficiently.
The second one is to create a two-way dynamic with international mindedness. Instead of simply giving lectures about my understanding of the texts, I always ask students to freely express their interpretations of the texts first, then guide them to formulate their arguments and evaluation. As a lifelong English language and literature learner and teacher, I strive to be student-oriented, flexible, and aware of individuality both in and outside my classroom. It pleases me to see that sharing my experience can also help students grasp the information and build a bridge between their world and the outside world.
A typical reaction from my students after the first lesson with me is usually, "ah, my school teachers didn't mention those details as you did," "I didn't know I could analyze a text this way," or "I think it's still not too late for me to get a better score. I feel more hopeful now!". My goal has always been to accommodate students' immediate learning needs. During the first lesson with them, I would ask them a few questions (both open and semi-structured questions) to find out their prior knowledge and what they're struggling with, such as reading, writing, or analyzing the texts. I believe it could be an enriching experience to learn the rubric, i.e., to understand what IB examiners expect of students (knowing your "enemies"). Walking them through the rubric is an effective way to help students better evaluate their work from the perspective of an IB examiner, based on which I help them make a study plan to target their weak areas specifically. In this way, students can make the best of their time and energy to make improvements more efficiently. Then I will use a text to analyze together with them. I will use various tools to highlight the essential points, such as making annotations, color coding, etc. In our first lesson, during our analysis, I'd often ask students to write a few sentences to comment on a particular authorial choice. I will provide my feedback using the rubric standards. This could also help me see what level they're at. Then I'd use different colors to help them improve the sentence to show the gap between their current level and the expected level from the IB and, most importantly, make them understand how to narrow and bridge the gap.
Tutor Reviews
Alex from Canada
Very knowledgeable teacher. She doesn't cut corners, she goes straight to the point. Helped me a lot with my individual oral.
Alicia from Canada
Tutor Quote
Your shadow is not your shadow but your reflection- Margaret Atwood
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