Get an A For Your Extended Essay

Florence Sherrill has been teaching Science, Chemistry and Biology for forty three years in International IB Schools in Brazil and the U.S.

The daughter of missionary parents, Florence was raised in Brazil, and grew up bilingual and bicultural. Teaching is her passion! She believes all students can learn, given proper guidance and support.

She holds a Bachelors Degree in Biology from Universidade Santa Ursula, and started teaching while still in college! She earned a Masters Degree in Science Education from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving back to Brazil. During her period in the United States, she was selected among several candidates to attend a leadership conference at Princeton University for teachers of Environmental Science, where she trained in project-based learning.

Florence has recently retired from her full-time classroom teaching and is excited about continuing to help young people learn.

Haiyan W is an experienced Mandarin teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience in universities and international schools in both China and the UK. She specialises in IB Chinese Language B (SL/HL) and Ab Initio, as well as IB Chinese Language A Literature (SL/HL).

She has worked as an IB examiner for around 10 years and has in-depth knowledge of IB assessment criteria. This allows her to effectively prepare students for both internal and external assessments, including oral exams, Paper 1, Paper 2, and Extended Essays. Her expertise helps students improve both their language accuracy and exam performance with confidence and clarity.

Haiyan has supported both native and non-native Chinese-speaking students from a wide range of cultural and educational backgrounds. She is known for her patient, structured, and highly supportive teaching style, with a strong focus on building student confidence and independent learning skills.

She tailors each lesson carefully to individual needs and believes students achieve their best when they feel supported, motivated, and appropriately challenged. Her lessons are engaging, structured, and designed to help students not only succeed in exams but also enjoy the process of learning Mandarin.

James has been teaching IB English internationally since 2006. He has a BA in Media and Cultural Studies, a PGCE in English, an MA in International Education, and is a qualified UK Headteacher. He is an IB examiner outside of school, and in school he has worked as a teacher, Head of Department, IBDP Coordinator, Extended Essay Coordinator, Head of Secondary and Head of School. He also has a number of years experience in teaching other teachers how to teach.

He specialises in literary and non-literary textual analysis skills, and assessment preparation, practice and perfection. He has read, studied and taught an enormous range and variety of IB-level literature, and is skilled at guiding students through the process of pulling them apart, and putting them together.

He listens to what each individual student needs, and builds a bespoke, flexible programme just for them, starting where they are in their learning right now, and getting them to where they want to be.

I am an accomplished educator, NERC/QUADRAT-funded PhD scientist, and Certified IB Examiner specialising in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS), Geography, and Earth Sciences across IB, A-Level, and University levels. I earned my PhD in Environmental Sciences with distinction, an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation with a PGCE equivalent, and a BSc (Hons) in Geography and Bioscience supported by the Repsol Sinopec Excellence Scholarship from the University of Aberdeen. With over 12,000 hours of total instructional experience spanning top international schools, leading universities, and global online platforms, my career bridges elite academic research with highly effective 1-1 student mentoring.
My scientific research focuses on high-altitude tropical and montane ecosystem resilience, biogeochemistry, and geophysics, leading to peer-reviewed contributions and presentations at major climate summits such as COP 26. As an active IB Examiner for Biology and ESS, I provide students with an insider understanding of marking schemes, structural assessment shifts, and syllabus nuances. Combined with multilingual fluency in English (C2), Spanish (C2), Polish (Native), Italian (B2), German (B1), and Portuguese (B1), I deliver an intellectually rigorous, globally contextualised learning experience that empowers students to excel.

Tutor Experience
Over the past six years, I have logged over 12,000 total instructional hours, including more than 9,700 hours of direct 1:1 online tutoring and over 11,000 hours in specialised digital learning environments. My pedagogical scope covers secondary, pre-university, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels across Biology, Chemistry, ESS, Physical and Human Geography, Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Sciences. I possess extensive experience with all major exam specifications, including IB DP (SL & HL), AQA, OCR (A & B), Edexcel, CIE, EDUQAS, and Cambridge International CAIM.
My institutional background includes four years as an academic lecturer and reader across leading UK universities, including the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, alongside teaching cycles in top-tier international school environments. In these roles, I have directed coursework, designed geological and ecological field expeditions, and mentored students through university dissertations, lab reports, and Directed Research projects.
This rigorous background drives consistent student performance: 80–85% of my A-Level and IB tutees achieve top grades (A/A* or 6/7), while my university students achieve average grade improvements of 20–40%+. Whether preparing high schoolers for competitive university entry or guiding postgraduates through advanced bioenvironmental analysis, I tailor every session to ensure total syllabus mastery and exam confidence.

Teaching Approach
My teaching philosophy is built upon an innovative, empirical framework that synthesises advanced scientific inquiry, diagnostic assessment architecture, and metacognitive learning strategies. Designed to transform passive memorisation into active analytical mastery, my approach elevates student performance across four core pillars:
• Diagnostic Sub-Topic Assessment Architecture - To guarantee complete syllabus coverage, every unit concludes with a mandatory diagnostic topic test. Built around a strict "one question per sub-topic" rule, this system systematically identifies and resolves micro-gaps in knowledge before they impact official examination performance.
• Examiner-Grade Assessment Mechanics - Drawing directly on my role as a Certified IB Examiner, I train students to interpret command terms, structure high-scoring responses, and decode complex mark schemes. I provide specialised coaching on critical exam mechanics, including mastering the updated Multiple Choice to True/False (MC to TF) rule transition.
• Intradisciplinary Scientific & Applied Research Integration - I bridge theoretical syllabus content with real-world scientific methodologies derived from active research in high-altitude tropical ecology, geophysics, and molecular biology. This intradisciplinary model deepens conceptual understanding, strengthens analytical essays, and prepares students for university-level scientific writing.
• Adaptive Metacognitive Mentorship - Every learning pathway is customised to the student's unique cognitive profile, integrating high-yield active recall and structured problem-solving with dedicated academic mentorship. By cultivating both conceptual clarity and strategic resilience under exam conditions, I help students reach their highest academic potential.

Many students find Environmental Science demanding, not because the content is inaccessible, but because IB ESS and Cambridge syllabuses demand a rare blend of scientific rigour, data analysis, and extended essay-style writing, often within tight deadlines and alongside a full course load. Students frequently struggle to connect case studies to exam command terms, structure IA and EE work effectively, or build the confidence needed to move from a borderline grade to a 6 or 7. With over 32 years of experience in education, I help students close these gaps through targeted, individualised support, breaking down complex topics, refining exam technique, and building the study habits that turn anxiety into clarity. I specialise in teaching Environmental Science (Management) within the Cambridge curriculum, and IB ESS, guiding students to achieve A* grades and 6/7s while fostering academic excellence. My students have gone on to study at universities around the world. I tutor regions spanning Japan, China, Geneva, Jakarta, Milan, Russia, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Dubai. My dedication has been recognised with the Best Environmental Management Student of the Year award in South Africa in 2022. In addition to my IB and Cambridge IGCSE expertise, I have implemented Environmental Science programs across all school levels at Umdoni Christian Academy and am well-versed in the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) program, which emphasises individualised learning and values-based education. My passion for teaching is matched by a commitment to nurturing each student's potential and inspiring a deep appreciation for environmental stewardship.

Kari G is a recently retired, 33 year secondary English instructor. She holds an undergraduate BA Degree in English from Kalamazoo College (1991) and a Master of Arts in Education with teaching certification from the University of Michigan (1994). Ms. Kari G was awarded the IB Schools of Michigan (IBSOM) teacher of the year in 2023.

Ms. Kari G's students consistently score a 6 or 7 on the IB Language A Literature both as full Diploma and Certificate candidates. Ms. Kari G, or as her students call her, "Mrs. G", differentiates instruction in conjunction with a student's needs - whether it is to grow confidence in speaking (in preparation for the Individual Oral Commentary) or to enrich critical analysis in their prose commentary. Teaching in the IB for years, Mrs. G has written original curriculum, mentored her colleagues, and worked with many students on their Extended Essays, as well.

With a teaching philosophy guided by being a life-long student, herself, Ms. Kari G listens to a student's queries, ideas, and interests as a guiding force for differentiated instruction and to ensure a student's skills, strategies, and successes are the primary focus of all tutorial sessions.