I have extensive experience over 34+ years in both the public and private sectors (in the UK, New Zealand & China) as a curriculum leader, classroom teacher, small group ESL lesson tutor - as well as my own private tuition throughout that period with all ages and abilities of students.
Some of my styudents have been with me for 4 years. In some cases, I have taught several kids and the parents in the same family.
For the last 5+ years I have been teaching online. Once again, I am now totally freelance.
All of my students have been at the very centre of my purpose. I model open mindedness and curiosity. I develop confident, relaxed progress on learning objectives in a positive, friendly yet focused environment. I attract parents and students that seek that style and pathway forward. I worked with Sasha for two years until they left Shanghai:
To Whom it May Concern
It is with pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Gary R..
Gary has been a tutor for our son Sasha for the last 2 years, 2 times each week to boost Sasha's Mathematic achievements and to help in adapting to a new curricula system (as a result of changing a school internationally). Sasha was struggling with stress, performing low at school, especially at Math.
Though Gary's careful support during that period our son gained confidence and reached a level of aptitude in Math and other subjects (like Science) that would have seemed impossible 2 years ago.
Gary is a very professional and competent teacher. Along with being organized and prepared, Gary has the ability to quickly build a positive rapport with his students and he is well-liked and respected by them. He is a teacher who inspires the children with his intelligence, enthusiasm, humor and creativity.
I would highly recommend Gary R. as a private tutor.
Sincerely, Iryna Severenchuk Guinot
I have worked in the smallest and the largest schools; the most humbling special needs schools and the high-pressure academic variety. I have worked with children from age 3 to 15 of many nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds.
I have decided to see if TutorExtra has improved in the last 2 years since I first looked at it. Fingers crossed.
Call me for a free consultation. Book up a free preliminary half hour session .
August 2021 to present
ONLINE ENGLISH TUTOR and MENTOR: own business
Based in the UK, with students of all ages from Azerbaijan to Spain, Bulgaria to China, Latvia to London. I teach adults, some teenagers and younger children worldwide, between two and five hours a day; 7 days a week.
I create bespoke curricula experiences for each student - some based on well-known courses, all heavily- modified, open-ended, flexible and learning goal-specific. If you think inside the box, I am probably not for you.
JUNE 2019 – AUGUST 2021
ONLINE ENGLISH TUTOR: WHALES ENGLISH
• Teaching Chinese students English language and literature online.
• Two pupils per class, aged 4 to14 years at grades K to 3
• Reading, speaking, phonics, vocabulary and grammar through 4 courses.
AUGUST 2014 – JULY 2018
SPECIALIST IEL/ESOL TEACHER
BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SHANGHAI, (INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION COMPANY, NORD ANGLIA)
• I oversaw the design, development and introduction in Key Stages 2 and 3 of the schools Intensive English Lessons (IEL’s) for small ESOL groups of beginner level students in years 3-9.
• I also taught most of these classes to bring non speakers up to grade.
• Students worked towards passing the Cambridge English exams.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Planning the delivery & teaching EAL classes.
• Liaising with parents and teachers.
• Coordinating with the EAL leader, class teachers, Special Needs teacher and parents.
• Reporting to parents through Parent-Teacher meetings and in end of term written reports.
AUGUST 2014 – JULY 2018
PRIVATE TUTORING THROUGHOUT SHANGHAI
I tavelled all over the vast metropolis of Shanghai in my little red car tutoring in family homes. Really!! Loved it.
AUGUST 2009 – JULY 2010
FUDAN WANKE EXPERIMENTAL PRIVATE SCHOOL, SHANGHAI
A completely innovative and extraordinary role with the duties of a lead Kindergarten teacher in the Bi-lingual ‘C-BAN’ learning a mixture of Chinese, US, British and Singaporean curriculum in a special programme - at the time available only to Non-Chinese Nationals within this Private Chinese School. With three classes, C-Ban was in its infancy with few resources, no organisational structure and much innovation and initiative were required. I introduced and demonstrated the 'radical' concept of child-centred education. I created a reading library of hundreds of new books, with no support funding or training. I introduced the concept and the reality of integrating Educational Support Professionals, such as Educational Psychologists to support students. I introduced the soft carpet /soft furnishings area with the eager help of parents. I modernised the classroom layout away from the 'rows of desks' approach. Now there are twelve classes (- and a library). They have ‘modernised’ and now thrive.
August 2008 to August 2009
CLASSROOM TEACHER BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - Shanghai, China (my first spell at BISS)
Working with Year 6 students predominantly, either individually and in small groups either in their own classroom setting or across the year group for those classes where we taught in ability bands. Sometimes my class numbered 6 students, sometimes 20, depending on the subject area or ability groupings. Adaptability was paramount. RESPONSIBILITIES: Supporting students with a variety of behavioural or learning needs, especially ESOL. Creating resources Supervision and planning for the delivery of the Science Scheme of Work across Y76. End of Key Stage exams preparation. Contributing to regular meetings with teachers, parents and outside agencies.
SEPTEMBER 1990 – JULY 2008 A variety of schools in Bristol, UK and New Zealand, most notably: -
AUGUST 1998 TO AUGUST 2002
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER TYNINGS SCHOOL, BRISTOL, UK.
• permanent position
• Normal Year5/6 classroom duties plus responsibility for Mathematics and Information Technology teaching within the school.
• Oversaw the installation and integration of the Information Technology suite schoolwide.
• Designed and delivered in-service training for staff and parents, on the UK National Curriculum and the National Numeracy Strategy.
• Passed the Performance Threshold for meeting national standards in effective teaching.
August 1994 to August 1999
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER FRAMPTON COTTERELL C OF E PRIMARY
• Year five teacher, my first permanent teaching post.
• Develop the Sports, Geography and Design Technology teaching
• Producing / delivering the in-service training in those subjects for staff and parents.
• Only the headteacher’s personal love for IT kept me from assuming full responsibility there, too.
• I ran and set up numerous sports teams and clubs, as was my passion for cricket, football, rounders and rugby. Soon, our teams won local and national trophies and awards – and my classroom won a national environmental competition to boot.
• I collaborated on curriculum and exam development, met with students readily, and graded all written work, including final exam papers for year 6 children.
June 1990 to June 2019
WAVELENGTH TUTORS – globally face to face and online
• My own tutoring business.
• Provided private educational support, including special needs and specific outcomes-based tuition for primary and intermediate aged children in UK.
• Exam prep for UK grammar schools. 11+ including Verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
• Sometimes remedial help.
• Sometimes inspirational and personally designed to be motivational or to replace the school experience altogether (once in New Zealand with my own home-schooled kids and once in China every morning for a term for a client's ADHD child who wasn't suited to school situations.)
• Mostly curriculum-based content and support relevant to the global locale.
• Scores of students over 30 years on three continents.
• Still operating but now as a sole trader without the company title, which was just jettisoned as I became the brand somewhere in New Zealand or China.
• After relocating to Europe, I have worked online with a Chinese company, and under the pandemic everything is more flexible, hence this name might well be resurrected.
EDUCATION
JUNE 2019 TO JUNE 2019
TESOL IN EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL OPEN ACADEMY – REMOTE LEARNING
SEPTEMBER 1988 T0 JULY 1992
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION BRISTOL POLYTECHNIC (AKA THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND) IN DESIGN TECHNOLOGY - 4 YEAR DEGREE WITH SECOND CLASS HONOURS, 2.1
SEPTEMBER 1990 T0 DECEMBER 1990
WSET ORDINARY AND HIGHER CERTIFICATES WINE & SPIRIT EDUCATION TRUST - (GLOBAL WINE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION) - 1990
SKILLS
• I am an adaptable and flexible teacher.
• I am professional and organized.
• I have 5+ years of experience teaching online.
• Problem solving comes naturally to me.
• I build effective relationships easily.
• I’m intuitive and empathetic.
• I have patience and positivity.
• I’m friendly and personable.
• I am well liked by my students and parents.
• I have demonstrated initiative as an asset.
• My global perspective is locally driven.
• My creativity flows boundlessly.
ACTIVITIES
For Me: Humour - Music - Writing - Travel - Food - Art - Science - Sport - Ethics - Curiosity
For Work: Entrepreneur, Employee, Founder, Assistant, Volunteer, Stay-at-home-Dad, Principle, Minion - I have done it all. I'll do it all again. Work is experience and experience is fundamental.
For Good (or ill): A global citizen, A remote worker (long before 'digital nomad' was coined). A success, A failure, A father, A chef, A husband, A guitarist, A drummer, A writer, A dog owner, A cat lover.
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Gary Reynolds
Tutor, Teacher, Instructor
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