Special offer for knowitall.ch readers includes half price introductory private lesson (more details below).
A new tutoring service has been launched, which is proving popular with both parents and their teenage kids.
Called Optimise You, the service includes English tutoring for Anglophones, as well as UCAS support, career guidance, communication skills and creative writing workshops for teens.
Launched a few months ago by Natalie Adams Perrin, former Head of English at a private international school in Geneva, Optimise You instils a real joy for learning in students that makes them look forward to lessons and come back again…and again!
Asked why she decided to set up her own tutoring service, Natalie told us, “When I left my job, I still had parents contacting me for advice about English, educational choices, and university advice. Nowadays, there are so many choices available to students and it can be overwhelming. It is not just about academic achievement either. We expect students to be excellent all-rounders and this is further highlighted when they have to write their personal statement. I want to be there to take some of the pressure off both the students and the parents to help them achieve their goals.”
Services offered by Optimise You
Natalie offers general guidance on a wide range of educational topics but her services fall into 6 main categories:
- Bespoke English services depending on individual needs (this might be for IGCSE English, IB coursework, homework support, essay writing, etc.)
- 1 to 1 Personal Statement support
- Extended Essay guidance
- Study skills, personal organization and coaching for academic success
- Communication skills and developing EQ (a new service in response to parents asking for further workshops)
- Coaching for success – time management skills, organizational skills, career planning, developing a vision, and transitioning to university are just some of the services that Natalie has offered in the past.
More about Natalie
Natalie is a strong advocate for empowering girls in education and is a currently working as a project coordinator for a Swiss Women in Leadership Programme. According to Natalie, one of her Swiss business clients has just 11% women in their workforce and yet there are more females than male who are going to university! Natalie told us, “The UN is doing great work in raising awareness, but the work has to start in the classroom. Statistics show that diverse teams drive better performance.”
Natalie is also concerned about the growing number of issues relating to breakdowns in communication between teens, their teachers, parents and peers. Whilst technology is opening up a virtual world, it is sometimes impeding soft skills and opening up scope for misunderstanding. Natalie believes words, both written and spoken, are essential to clear communication, as is ‘reading’ the other person. When she works with students, she therefore has a strong focus on promoting inter-personal skills and helping them develop their own unique voice.
Why Optimise You?
There are many factors which make Optimise You the right choice for parents and their children. With extensive knowledge of both the private and public school systems in Geneva and Vaud, not only through 25 years of teaching but through her own experience as a parent with children at school, Natalie is well placed to advise on the pros and cons of each system. She has a good understanding of what is required to achieve success not only in the IGCSE and IB exam systems, but the Swiss Maturité too. Indeed, she has a proven track record of 100% pass rate for external exams (estimated over 750 students). As a native English speaker with fluent French, Natalie is also particularly sensitive to the issues surrounding bilingualism in schools.
Working on her own, Natalie believes that one of her biggest strengths is the fact that parents know who they are getting when they book her services! When they request support for their child, they know they will get Natalie, and not whoever is available on the day, which can be the case with some tutoring services.
And the fact that she specializes in English is a huge advantage… the support she offers is highly focused and relevant to the needs of students looking for support with their written tasks. If you need Maths or Physics tuition, you should be looking elsewhere…and Natalie can probably advise you!
If you combine Natalie’s teaching and coaching background with her diploma in Special Education Needs, it is easy to see why she has such a high empathy and understanding for the teen mindset! Indeed, one parent told us what she observed after picking her child up from Natalie’s creative writing classes,
“What I noticed after every class was that the kids really weren’t all that ready to leave, even though they’d already been at Natalie’s for five or six hours by that time. They all wanted to stay and talk to Natalie and to each other for much longer. It was easy to see that Natalie had created an encouraging, energetic atmosphere for all the kids, even though they had very different writing goals and experiences.”
She added, “Natalie’s genuine interest in others was evident. I feel that Natalie isn’t just teaching because she knows a lot about writing. She’s teaching because she truly loves helping people learn to love writing as much as she does.”
And this is what one student told us about the support she received from Natalie whilst studying with her siblings in the Swiss system, "My three siblings and I completely fell in love with Natalie who is without a doubt the best teacher we have ever had and I believe that her passion for teaching is a true gift. She expects a lot from her students and pushes them to be the very best they can be. I have accomplished things I never thought possible thanks to Natalie’s never ending and utmost motivational energy and it is practically thanks to her that I got accepted at LSE last year. Natalie was the first person I called once I got the offer as it was something we had worked on together for a while and she was the one person I wanted to share that moment of joy with."
She concluded, "I recommend Natalie to any family or student. She truly is the Mary Poppins of teaching and anyone would be lucky to have her as a teacher."
Upcoming workshops and events
Choosing a tutor to work with your child can be a challenging process, with personalities playing a key part in your choice. If you would like to see how Natalie works before committing to one-to-one tuition, you are invited to sign your child up for one of the group classes offered by Optimise You. Natalie usually runs at least one Study Skills / Essay Writing course and one Creative Writing course per month at an idyllic, inspirational location next to the Rhône River in Geneva! October courses are listed below:
Study Skills and Essay Writing for 16 +
1 October, 2017
13h to 15h30
Geneva
Students will have the opportunity to identify their study habits and develop ways of optimising their performance. They will also look at how to improve their essay writing skills. Price: 75CHF
Writing Workshop for Teens
7 October 2017
10h to 12h30
Geneva
Students will develop their creative writing practice and raise their awareness of the craft of storytelling. They will also look at editing and redrafting. Price 75CHF
Optimise English for 9 – 12 year olds
7 October 2017
14h30 to 17h
Geneva
Where fun and learning become one! Creative writing, developing comprehension and gaining confidence in their presentation skills are the order of the afternoon! Price 75CHF
Study Skills and Essay Writing for 16 +
29 October 2017
13h to 15h30
Geneva
Students will have the opportunity to identify their study habits and develop ways of optimising their performance. They will also look at how to improve their essay writing skills. Price: 75CHF
As a special introductory offer to knowitall.ch readers, Natalie has kindly offered parents the option to book a trial lesson for their child at half the normal price. However, if you would prefer to try out one of her group classes first, then you can book any of these at the discounted price of 15% off. The offer applies to new students only on any sessions booked before the end of 2017.
Optimise You
Natalie Adams Perrin
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
https://www.optimiseyou.ch/
