Darren Smillie

My teaching style is very much student centred and takes an enquiry based learning approach. In a typical lesson we start off with a little warm up which usually consists of a review of the previous lesson. Discovery and discussion then take centre stage - a 'knowledge harvest' so we can build on existing skills and ideas in a constructivist manner. It's very important for the student to be given every opportunity to engage and express. We then practice and produce skills and techniques in areas such as analysis and commentary, or comprehension and response.

All of this takes place within the framework of the exam being taken - this way we make an early start on honing essential exam skills such as time management, managing stress, and specific question approaches.

I like to maintain a friendly relaxed, but focused, learning environment where students are comfortable enough to ask questions and seek guidance, but where they also understand their own responsibility towards the learning process.

This methodology is one which has seen me mentor students to success across a wide range of examinations and oner which has been tried and tested in language centres and international schools with broad and diverse student bodies in Myanmar and Thailand, for expat children and young adults as well as local learners.