Brittain

I am an American-British academic, living in London. While I no longer work in the university system, I still publish work and belong to an academic community of researchers on detective fiction. I volunteer in animal rescue and love to bake.

Tutoring Experience

I have been teaching the ACT and SAT for nine years, first for an American tutoring firm and then independently, during which time I have taught students worldwide. I have also taught the GRE and GMAT tests. Before that, I lectured at Goldsmiths University, as part of a postdoctoral fellowship, and at Bournemouth University. I have experience tutoring writing at all levels, but specialise in English and literature essays at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Tutoring Approach

All students learn differently. I have developed a framework for the different sections of each test, but it is flexible enough that students can move at different paces and concentrate on the aspects of the tests that are most challenging to them. While I do teach content, I also teach students how to look at these tests, which are very different than the way they have learned the subjects in school. I can also advise parents about how to prepare in what may be a new and confusing system.
With respect to writing, I offer a more structured approach than is usually provided on undergraduate UK courses. Many students arrive at university without having had instruction on essay skills; they are often told the faults of their work, but not how to fix them. I work with my writing students to draw out their own ideas and help them shape those ideas into academic form.