Elissa Z.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
French International School of Hong Kong – IGCSE
Biology – A*
Cambridge International Mathematics – A*
First Language English – A*
First Language French – A*
Literature (English) – A*
Physics – A*
Chemistry – A
Chinese as a Second Language – A
History – A
French International School of Hong Kong – IB
English A: Literature Higher Level – 7
Biology Higher Level – 6
Chemistry Higher Level – 6
French A: Literature Standard Level – 5
History – 6
Mathematics Analysis and Approaches Standard Level – 7
Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay – 2
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Love Learning Tutors: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English Language, English Literature, Mathematics
Common Entrance: English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
IGCSE: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English Language, English Literature, Mathematics
IB: Biology, English
I have experience teaching classes of Year 7 and 8 students in English and Mathematics, and did so for a year and a half.
I have experience coaching a team of students for a literary competition, ranging from 10-20 students of ages 10-14, and for a total of 4 years.
SKILLS & INTERESTS
I have quite a few hobbies outside of my studies, including playing football and piano, reading, writing poetry and woodworking. I’ve also done competitive swimming in the past and used to play field hockey when I was younger. I speak 3 languages—English, Mandarin and French—all at a native level. I participated in a city-wide literature competition for 10 years from Years 4 to 13, with the last 4 being as coach of a team of 10-20 students aged 10-14 years old. I’ve also played competitive football for a total of 6 years now and was captain of my high school team.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Placements during university
Mandeville Veterinary Hospital – June to July 2023
Romanby Grange – April 2023
Bryndu Farm – March to April 2023
RVC Boltons Park Farm – June 2022
Lee Valley Riding Centre – April 2022
Bryndu Farm – March to April 2022
Creation of teaching assistant programme for IB years – 2020 to 2021
Work experience prior to university
Hong Kong Veterinary Centre – October to November 2019
Summer School at City University of Hong Kong: Familiarization with Veterinary Medicine – July 2019
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) - July 2019
Coach for Battle of the Books Hong Kong – 2017 to 2021
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I have always found myself an avid fan of learning. It did not really matter what kind of skill or subject it was, but the minute my attention was caught I found myself harbouring a voracious appetite for knowledge. As the years of my education went by, I had the experience of very good teachers, who have left a mark on me and how I learned. This eventually led me to understand the value of good teaching and the effect it could have on someone.
I first tried my hand at teaching when I was in Year 10, and had become coach for my school’s Battle of the Books team, a city-wide literature competition for students from years 7 to 9. The responsibility I felt was thrilling, and the excitement of planning sessions and watching my team progress did not falter in the 4 years I coached the team. There was something quite phenomenal about watching students absorb information and apply it to their lives, making it their own and having it influence them. The ability to lead such a group of students—they were 10 to 20 on average—meant that I was challenged to find different ways to teach the content to keep it interesting and engaging. Rather than being discouraged when a lesson wouldn’t sink in, I felt a renewed sense of purpose in my role as coach, and through perseverance and dedication I was able to bring my team to the finals. I was lucky enough to be able to bring and extend my coaching skills to a classroom setting in my last couple of years of secondary school too.
In an effort to provide assistance to the teachers at my school, I created a system to assign IB students in my year to help teachers teach students in Year 7 to 9, in whichever subjects they felt strong in. I personally helped a Year 7 English class and a Year 8 Maths class, and further solidified the passion I had for teaching. The roles I took varied depending on the content, but I found myself leading activities, analysing English works as a class and having one-on-one moments with students who needed specific help for certain questions or problems they had. The overall experience lasted over a year, and I found my communication skills greatly improved after it. The understanding of how different students learned, as well as how to channel their passions and energy into their subjects, was crucial to me.
The overall experience of teaching I have had so far has brought me a lot of fulfilment, and I feel pride at being able to say I have been part of the positive experiences of the students I’ve had the blessing of helping. The thought that I could help other students reach their goals, no matter what they are, is something that I would love to do. Therefore, tutoring students really appeals to me, and I look forward to helping others pursue their goals.