Jonathan Walsh

My background is as a musician, and I have studied classical piano to a Grade 8 standard. I am also currently preparing one of my younger student’s (who has just turned 10 years old) for his Grade 2 exam. Learning an instrument has afforded me many valuable pedagogical insights. The most important skill is to learn how to learn, and to this end I feel I have made great strides not just in my ability to teach but also in my ability to learn. I am currently learning another language, and the skills I have picked up from my years of study at the piano are proving invaluable as I negotiate the early stages of my studies in Portuguese. As a teacher, I try to make my classes fun and engaging, because I think it goes without saying that if the classes are fun it greatly facilitates the education experience. I see this myself with my students (of all ages), that the more fun they have as they practice, then so much faster is their development. I also have some experience as a proof-reader, having recently reviewed and suggested amendments to one of my student’s PhD’s. I also regularly assist her with emails and the finer points of English grammar.