Elena

Hey guys! I’m Elena and I’m here to say: I get it. VCE can be difficult. So no matter whether you’re aiming for the top or just trying to survive this crazy thing we call school, my ultimate mission is to help make things easier for you. I can be your certified secret weapon!

Here’s a little bit about why:

🏅Graduated with a 99.60 ATAR

🏅Scored a raw 50 in English

🏅Premier’s Award for VCE English

📈 Over 1200 hours of tutoring experience

📈 Over 5 years as a Saturday School classroom teacher

📈 Over 45 previous students

📈 Over 30 different texts taught

I know, I know. There are a lot of high achievers out there. And I am the first to admit that having good grades does not make someone a good teacher. I’ve been teaching for a long time (and have studied teaching at Monash) and I can tell you that communication skills and a high EQ are the important ingredients. That being said, please don’t think of me as just another teacher!

As we at KIS like to say, tutors should feel like ‘genius best friends’, and that is absolutely my tutoring philosophy.

When I’m not tutoring, I work part time as a kindergarten teacher (is it harder to teach teenagers or three year olds? 🤔_that’s been my ongoing question!_) - and as any parent can tell you, young children can be brutal! One thing I’ve learned definitively is that students will never learn from someone they don’t like. Hence, ‘genius best friends’. I prioritise getting to know you, your likes and dislikes, your ‘learning turn off’ (the thing that makes someone hate coming to class)… because I believe that knowing your personal context behind why you’ve started tutoring is vital to making sure you actually get something out of it.

I don’t want to be just another authority figure, and I don’t believe in handing you copious amounts of homework when you might already be struggling to stay on top of your regular schoolwork. Even the best multitaskers struggle with having multiple different streams of learning at once (between orchestra, theatre, leadership roles, academic competitions, public speaking competitions, dance, a part time job and debating, I definitely learned this the hard way in high school!).

I absolutely do give out recommended reading and exercises, and have an extensive bank of practise prompts, sample essays, study guides and other resources to share if you want them! But I’m not going to crucify you if you don’t do it.

Rote learning is very different to core conceptual understanding. Cultivating that is my goal.

Ultimately, what I’m saying is that I know what it’s like to be a student! I still am one (at university). I try to tutor the things students need to know, in a way that you can understand it. I also received tutoring while I was in high school, so I understand where you’re coming from.

Therefore as a tutor, my ideals are to combine personal experience as both the student and the teacher to create a balanced, tailored, welcoming and relatable tutoring process for you.

What I offer:

✅ Regular lessons according to your schedule (weekly, fortnightly, 30, 60, 90mins…whatever you feel!)

✅ Ad hoc lessons before SACs or exams (there’s always time to improve!)

✅ Essay marking for my students (with a 36 hour return policy)

✅ Independent, personalised curricula (if you want to be ahead of your class / do something different)

Aside from the content itself, as a VCE survivor I am able to help out with general tips and tricks- all the things that will ultimately help you help yourself!

My role as a tutor can be summarised in one word - I am a de-stresser.

So whatever that means to you, wherever your stress is building up - let me know and I’d love to help.

I left high school happy with my six years there - a feeling which I hope to impart to you. Whether that means improved grades, better studying skills or a greater enjoyment of a subject, I will be there to help that happen and have some laughs along the way!