About Me
Hi. My name is Vivienne Smith. I have many years of teaching experience - both as an online TESOL teacher of all ages (teaching English to speakers of other languages) and as a Secondary School English teacher to GCSE level. I have taught the AQA exam board and also OCR. My style is friendly and encouraging, whilst wanting lessons to be as productive for your child as possible. I am also a qualified coach, which means that I am used to helping young people who feel anxious, overwhelmed or lacking in confidence. My grown-up son told me the other day that he still remembers how helpful my revision advice and home studying plan was to him when he went through his GCSEs, so that is another area I could help with. Before we start work together, I will ask you and your child where they most need help, so that I can tailor your sessions to give maximum value. Contact me to see how I can support their success. I offer lessons from my home if you live in the Horsham area, or I can provide online sessions.
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BOOK AND COACHING - Kind Words for Tired Teachers - Rediscover Your Passion and Purpose
​The book includes my own personal journey of training during the pandemic, battling back from the brink of burnout to discover a renewed sense of passion and purpose, and why I’m not a tired teacher any more!
Morale and retention in the profession are at an all-time low and most schools don’t have an HR department. The book is for teachers who feel broken: who want to stay but need help to thrive, or are tempted to leave, but wonder if there’s life after teaching. It’s by teachers, for teachers (those who stayed and those who left) who provide invaluable, candid advice and real-life examples. Readers will gain greater clarity about what they need to do now and confidence to take the next steps. It’s also a great gift – because everyone has a tired teacher in their life!
Whilst writing the book I realised that I wanted to give further help to others in a similar situation to thrive, not just survive. Through my coaching sessions I help people to process their experiences in teaching and then decide whether to leave or stay - and how to be OK either way.