We had Roddy out three times. He pressured for more hours of tutoring and wanted to change the booked time 2 out of these 3 times. He also would say things like "it's my way or no way, with me", when I, as the child's parent would try to explain things she was struggling with and spent more time explaining that "he knew his stuff" than anything. I do believe he knows what he is talking about in terms of English but his manner can be quite harsh and make you feel uncomfortable, so Roddy won't be returning to my home.
First of all, with the last tutorial I gave, I charged for one hour, but ended up working two hours, as Lynn's daughter was struggling to understand some very important but basic elements of the course. I only changed the booked time once as a forced error on my part, for which I apologised. The other time was agreed, out of the 'three'… I have had a difference of opinion with my tutee's mother, and felt that there has been a considerable amount of pressure by txt, most of all long involved texts, which could have been discussed in the home. Also, the time was extremely limited,with a total of eight hours left of tutorial time, before the exam diet begins, and two major elements of the course have not even been touched on once: RUAE, and Critical Essay. It was obvious to me, that there just was not enough time being given to tutorial, to allow these things to be addressed. My manner is nothing if not approachable, communicative, and open. At no time have I been harsh in any way with either Lynn or her daughter. Finally, the school has, in a most unfortunate turn of events, left her daughter in a very precarious position, without real support, as she has arrived last December from another education authority. Let me assure parents who read this, that I have done everything I could to help, and in an extremely small amount of time- three tutorials- I helped Lynn's daughter to complete a Folio piece, a short story, which is, as anyone would agree, a very difficult choice for Folio, and she has submitted this,on time. If there is any I'll feeling on Lynn's part, I must say that I feel this could be in no small way, an expression of her deep frustration, in the way both education authorities have dealt with her daughter's situation. This has been a most unfortunate situation, and I am most sincerely sorry that she has felt the need to retaliate in this manner. Her daughter is an extremely nice and kind person. Perhaps a good long look at her own motivations would help Lynn to understand more, her frustration at the teaching establishment as it stands, currently.
From Laura
Roddy is the ultimate professional and very focused on working with my son in a way that works for him. Roddy is serious about education, clearly passionate about what he does and improving outcomes for those he works with. He is a straight talker and asks his pupils to commit and dedicate time.(quite rightly) Slightly daunting for my son at first but they've developed a good professional relationship. Would recommend. Have left 4 rather than 5 because it is early days and would prefer to see the end outcome before committing to a 5! But cannot fault approach…
From Lorna
Roddy has support my son through his English nat 5 and now his higher . I cannot praise him enough. His experience , knowledge of the curriculumn, professionalism and personal manner are of the highest quality.
Thank you so much Lorna! That is so very kind.
From Alison
Absolute Pleasure Having Roddy Tutor My Daughter for her Nat 5 English in S4 she achieved a A in her Final Exams, Resulting in her being able to take Higher English in S5, Roddy Built her Confidence up, he believed she was more than Capable of achieving that A and it gave Caitlyn the push she needed, Roddy we cant thank you enough for everything!
Slainthe! Alison
Many thanks Alison for the kind words! Caitlyn is a star. She deserves her Grade A, she worked really hard.
From Sarah
Where to start… I feel so lucky to have found Roddy as my personal tutor. I am at the beginning of my journey, and so far so good! I am 37 and have minimal knowledge and skills (basic high school knowledge). Roddy very quickly established my level of education by a 5 minute initial chat (in French) to see what words I could understand and say. I managed a basic level of conversation… hello, my name is, I live here etc and not much else. Roddy, in my opinion is the perfect balance of knowledge, personality, firm, fair and I feel he is encouraging, but also you are expected to put the hard work in which I completely agree with. Although he is my tutor I am aware he is not a miracle worker, and therefore homework is a big requirement going forward in learning to speak fluent French. Also Roddy will educate you on language, culture, history and I feel this is a very important factor when learning a language. I look forward to my lessons each week and always come away feeling lighter, happier and eager to learn. I would highly recommend Roddy to start your French journey, and I look forward to writing more reviews as I continue on my journey. Excellent tutor!!
Sarah, Merci Beaucoup! Très gentille! Je suis si content de voir que tout va bien. Santé! Roddy.
From Aland
I certainly recommend Roddy for English Higher S5 tuition as he helped my son with how to prepare better for his exams & how to answer in order to get better marks ! He’s polite , professional, patient and helpful, thank you for being a great tutor.
Thank you so much, Aland! Very much appreciated.
From Alistair
Roddy has been helping my son with Higher French.
We have found Roddy to be very organised and well prepared for the lessons, (tailoring the sessions to my son's abilities) . He is very enthusiastic and delivers a high level of teaching. Highly recommend.
From Sharon
Roddy is an excellent tutor, he is a professional and experienced tutor. In each lesson, he would be fully prepared basic on my son's interests and level, very patient, friendly and knowledgeable. It really helped my son continue to learn and improve his English, especially when the school is closeing during the epidemic. Highly recommended!
Thank you ! Very kind.
From Anu
Roddy has been working with my son for an year now, he’s showing more interest in French and improving steadily.
Thank you for that. Roddy
From Alison
We had roddy out twice for tuition. Overall roddy is very knowledgable and i would recommend roddie for more advanced learners.
Roddy did push for 2hr tuition and i declined. He then agreed for 2hrs with my son without my consent and for this reason we ended tuition.
Roddy however is a nice man and as i say would be recommended for advanced learners as he is very knowledgeable and certainly good at building confidence
Genuine and sincere intentions to help any student, at all times, is my trademark. I would never dream, ever, of taking advantage. For this reason, the fee for the 2nd hour for Alison's son, which I felt went very well, was returned. This was a difference of opinion. Nothing more. Alison received the cheque by post for the returned fee for the 2nd hour. I can confirm here that the family did not cash the cheque.
From Christine
Roddy began working with my son prior to him sitting higher English . With his support and encouragement he achieved an A in his exam. Roddy has a calm and friendly approach and is very thorough and learned in all areas of English. The preparation techniques and reading tips he recommended Ie active newspaper reading and mock exams were excellent. Roddy is now continuing his tutorials towards the upcoming Advanced higher English exam. If you want a true professional who will help you achieve great results I cannot recommend him enough.
Thank you very much indeed! Roddy
From Lynn
Roddy has been fantastic. Very patient and tailors lessons to the individual.
Thank you!
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