Coleen

I grew up in Canada, living mainly in Toronto and Montreal. With a desire to explore and expand my horizons, I spent several years in France studying theatre at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. I was subsequently drawn to the UK and I have lived here for many years. I spend my time between Toronto and London, tutoring students of all ages. I am a writer, playwright, professor and teacher and I also work as a theatre director and artist educator. I develop plays with my international theatre company, Open Heart Surgery Theatre and am part of the Young Vic Creators' Program in London. I've always worked in the creative arts (theatre, writing and storytelling), education and social justice and have worked with many different theatres and organisations internationally. I see myself as someone with an international outlook, a passion for creativity and the power of the imagination and a I have a deep passion to teach.

As a playwright and producer, I have written and produced many plays with my theatre company, including: First Draft, which was performed in Cairo, Egypt at Falaki Theater after it toured in the UK (Camden People's Theatre and The Mimetic Festival); This Is Why We Live, which toured Poland and France and New York City; VOILA!, which earned an OFFIE nomination. I have developed podcasts, films and am currently writing a new work that will be produced in 2024. I am passionate about books, poetry, music and travel. With my background in physical theatre, I am also interested in creating original theatre from a movement perspective and have taught at Universities, Colleges and Sixth forms. I have taught LAMDA to an arts school in Hampstead and support young people in their dramatic endeavours - this positions me well for interview practice as well.

I am passionate about supporting and nurturing young people's learning through engaging lessons. I believe in connecting with my students and discovering their own unique learning style, as I believe this to be the core of enabling students to excel in their learning journeys . It is essential to develop this rapport with students first, so learners feel comfortable to ask questions and engage with the material in a way that feels empowering.

I am a writer and theatre artist, originally from Canada, with a passion for education, creative writing and I have 16 years' teaching experience. I studied English Language and Literature at the University of Toronto, Theatre and Development in Montreal, Physical Theatre at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq school in Paris and earned a Masters in Creative Writing. I have been tutoring since 2007 (from adults to young children) with outstanding results and my students gaining placements into the schools of their choice in England.

Having worked in a multitude of settings in Canada, France and the UK, I have been able to test out many approaches to tutoring over the years I have been working. What works best is to always have clear communication, ask questions to make sure learners are understanding the topics and to create sessions that suit the needs of each individual student.

Enthusiasm, trust, keen listening and rigour are key principles I bring into my classes.

I have experience working with students on the 11+, 13+, 16+ and also at GCSE/IGCSE and A Level English and Maths, guiding students towards success. My main focus and experiencing is helping students prepare for their pre-test or Common Entrance at the 11+ level and helping to improve confidence in their subjects and guiding students through the curriculum. I feel my students have a positive experience as I always try to adapt my lessons to suit the needs and learning styles of my students. I have extensive experience at the higher level as well and I help students develop their study skills for their entrance exams and prepare effectively, focusing on the areas of weakness and building knowledge from there.

I have taught in Canada, France, Egypt, China and the UK. I teach English, Creative Writing, Drama, Maths, French and guide my students in Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. My experience also involves creating original workshops in Theatre and Playwriting in Canada, France and the UK. I also have experience as a supply teaching in Primary Schools and running workshops at all levels. In Paris I taught English to young learners, and businesses, taught English with C'Efficace, ICB Europe, Langue en Scene and Babylangues. I have taught Creative Writing workshops in South London with Knowledge Seekers. I have been with Keystone Tutors in London, UK for over 10 years.

Above all, I believe in a creative approach to learning: engaging lessons, with clear opportunities for application of learning. I create bespoke sessions that suit my students needs, through mapping out goals and assessing our goals every week.

I love hiking, yoga, travel and reading and try to do this as much as possible! I love writing and engaging in community-based projects that uplift people within their communities. I run a theatre company that is devoted to developing original work that is movement-based and speaks about relevant themes of our time. I am working on a new play and recently toured by work to New York City's Experimental Theatre La MaMa in 2019. I have taught Playwriting at the University level, I run workshops on playwriting internationally and also for adults, helping shape scripts and develop new work.