June Tutor of the Month - Tom Childs

Q. Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Tom! I graduated from University College London with a master’s degree in Neuroscience in 2020. I spent the following two years conducting research into Alzheimer’s disease before quitting my job to travel around South East Asia for 5 months, which I funded by teaching on Ringle. I’ve now taught English in England, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand!

I returned to the UK to spend last Christmas with my family and have continued teaching from my family home in a small village in the north of England. I’m planning to do one more period of international travel, starting next week, before giving up my freedom to do a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience.

Q. When did you start Ringle and how did you find out about it?

I’ve been teaching with Ringle since June 2022. I did extensive research into the different online teaching platforms and Ringle seemed like the perfect fit. The flexibility of teaching hours and the fact there’s no need to spend hours planning lessons made it a convenient way to support my travels.

Q. Can you share your most memorable lesson on Ringle?

While no single lesson stands out, I always enjoy lessons with two intelligent and articulate junior students I teach. I love hearing their creative answers to some of the more thought-provoking topics Ringle provides. They’re also full of answers that leave a smile on my face. For example, when asked whether businesspeople should be allowed to use emojis, one of them answered that it’s fine as long as they’re formal emojis. When I asked what a formal emoji is, they said it is an emoji wearing a black suit and tie! I enjoyed the image of formal business chats where every message ends in a black-suited emoji.

Q. What makes your teaching style unique?

It’s hard to say what makes my style unique, as I’m not familiar with the styles of other tutors. However, I try to give feedback in a way that allows students to revise and improve in their own time. I’ll often give detailed explanations as to why a certain phrase is awkward or grammatically incorrect and occasionally provide links to additional resources that my students can read in their own time.

Q. How often do you teach on Ringle and how do you manage your time?

I teach 12 hours every week. I teach the same hours and days each week, so I have no problem managing my time. I find it helps to open my schedule months in advance and add it to my Google Calendar.

Q. Any advice for new Ringle tutors?

It took me a few weeks to find a rhythm and teaching style that works for me. I’d encourage new tutors to teach as often as they can in the first few weeks so that they can get used to how everything works and find their own rhythm and style. I’d also advise taking the first few minutes to show a genuine interest in your student, get to know them, and listen closely to their teaching preferences. Additionally, constantly check up on them throughout the lesson and ask if they understand you or need any further explanations. Many students will be too polite to ask you to explain something a second time, so I always give them plenty of opportunities to do so. Finally, make sure you know your MBTI personality type, as it’s only a matter of time before a student asks about it! 

Tutor of the Month receives:

• Cash prize of $100
• Recognition on Ringle's web and social media platforms
• An opportunity to record a demo lesson for other tutors

Ringle selects a tutor every month based on their ratings, consistency of lessons, and reviews.