Lily Spitza

My tutoring experience lies primarily in at-home sessions, in which I taught children age 10 and up in German language and literature. We focused on homework to begin and would then move through different exercises for grammar, spelling, and essay writing. I placed a lot of importance on reading aloud and letting my students find their own solutions while gently guiding them in the correct direction. For grammar and spelling, I used flashcards and memorisation games which we continually repeated over multiple sessions until the material was intuitive.

At University, I gained qualifications to become a peer mentor and work for my department. Our focus lies in essay structure, grammar, and correct formatting. I hold 30min sessions with each mentee on a piece they have brought to me, either online or in person, and together we address their concerns. The mentoring is shaped around what the mentee brings to my attention and aims to give them the tools they need to work through current and future improvements. The session is a responsive, open communication between mentor and mentee, in which the mentee has control over what we work on and I guide them towards possible solutions.

I place priority on constructive criticism and positive feedback. My students should never feel bad about their work while also acknowledging ways to improve it. I will work with student needs and feedback on what types of material to prioritise and always take into account any exams, tests, or assignments that require immediate attention. I am a friendly, personable tutor who aims for her sessions to be initiative-led while being able to provide clear directions for improvements.