Hazal

I graduated as the top student of my year studying BA English Language and Literature at Near East University, then matriculated at the prestigious King’s College London to study for MA Comparative Literature. Stream of consciousness narratives, nonlinearity, and oral literature as a form of resistance circulate within my research interests, and I am often drawn to themes of mental imprisonment, identity, and displacement. I enjoy exploring literary pieces enmeshed with philosophy and have always been most interested in the works of Woolf, Nietzsche, Kafka, Beckett, and Adorno.

Whilst working as a private tutor over the past decade, I held teaching roles and acted as an educational consultant at private schools in Cyprus, covering English Language and Literature and World History at GCSE and A-Level and IELTS and university admissions at Sixth Form. I convened book clubs and drama groups to enrich the extracurricular activities offered to students. In addition, I volunteered with the women’s organisation KAYAD, helping teenagers and adults take their first steps into the English language.

Having taken translation studies at the postgraduate level, I participated in government-funded cultural projects as a translator, editor, and community interpreter. I assisted in the running of seminars on domestic violence in collaboration with the former first lady of Northern Cyprus and acclaimed international speakers, mediating cross-lingual communication. Recently, I embarked on a new project of translating the biography and memoirs of the Turkish Cypriot artist Ismet Vehit Guney, who designed the flag of Cyprus.

Since my teenage years, I have enjoyed acrylic painting and art history and participated in art exhibitions. I write poetry, and my work has been published in literary magazines. During holidays, I frequent the hotspots of the Caribbean and Balearics and spend my free time exercising or listening to jazz.

I am a private tutor and educational consultant, delivering approximately 35 hours of in-person and online tuition each week. My in-person lessons mainly take place in West London, e.g., Chelsea, Kensington, Holland Park, Acton, and Ealing, and I often take on siblings at different levels and oversee all academic progress; in tandem with that, I carry out regular online tuition to students across the UK, China, Hong Kong, Russia, and Qatar.

With over 10 years’ experience in education, I support students ranging from primary school to university and beyond. I offer expert knowledge covering 7+ to 16+ entrance and scholarship exams and interview prep, and my students have won places at Harrow, Winchester, the City of London, Latymer Upper, Dulwich Prep and Dulwich College, Francis Holland, Merchant Taylors’, Bolton School, and Perse School. I proficiently deliver all core subjects up to Key Stage 2, and while I specialise in English, I also tutor Art History and Philosophy in preparation for GCSE, A-Level and the IB exams.

With experience at all academic levels, I maintain strong ties with my clients, seeing many through the entirety of the school system. For over a year, I have been tutoring English and Maths at Key Stages 1 and 2 and A-Level English, Art History, and university admissions whilst working with three children in one family. Moreover, I monitor the children’s academic progress, liaising with schoolteachers and other tutors to ensure they receive the best support in preparation for school and university applications.

I enjoy giving a push to my students and firmly believe that every child has the potential to succeed. One of my success stories comes from a primary school student who considered English his archenemy. After a few months of weekly online tutorials during the pandemic, my student published his first compilation of poetry. He expanded the project further by dedicating the proceeds to a charity that aided families affected during the lockdown. During that time, I acted as his editor and prepared him for numerous interviews held by renowned media organisations, including the BBC and ITV, which invited him to their radio programmes. With the continuation of English lessons, my student also won a full scholarship, securing entry into his first choice of school.

At all academic levels, I home in on critical thinking and writing skills and encourage students to explore their own narratives. Having first read English and subsequently Comparative Literature, I seamlessly transfer an extensive knowledge of textual information and literary theory over to the secondary school and degree-level tuition. Most of my students notice a huge difference after a session or two in their ability and confidence to discuss topics within the classroom cohort and the way they perceive a piece of text.

Due to the nature of my voluntary work and previous teaching roles at schools, I have been through extensive child safety training programmes and my DBS is updated each year. As an active tutor over the past decade, I have engaged with students diagnosed with autism and dyslexia who required specific teaching methods suitable to their learning. I regularly revise and refine my knowledge on how to assist special needs students and have been able to successfully help previous tutees improve their grades in a short period of time.

Throughout my academic experience, I have been extremely fortunate to meet educators who cared for my learning as much as my parents. Their guidance and pastoral support have had significant effects on my motivation while growing up and even after I took tutoring as a professional career. Owing to their contribution, I value the importance of quality education and the impact it makes at any level. Therefore, I endeavour to mirror their inspiration while working with my students.