I became a Geography teacher because I believe that an understanding of Geography is the best way to understand our world, its challenges and opportunities. The world is a complex and interconnected place, where people and the environment constantly interact. Geography is how we make sense of this and I love sharing that knowledge with students.
For well over a decade, I’ve enjoyed teaching Geography in the classroom. I’ve done it all over the World – Asia, the Middle East, London and across the UK. I’ve taught in high-flying independent schools, outstanding grammar schools and hugely diverse international schools. I’ve learned a lot along the way and broadened my own horizons and knowledge on study tours and field trips from Iceland to Borneo. Being a classroom Geography teacher is a truly fantastic job and I’ve loved it throughout.
However, as a teacher there is never enough time: you are busy planning trips, doing curriculum development, you have sports commitments, attend moderation meetings and do the hundreds of other tasks that take up so much of your time in busy schools. It gets even busier as a Head of Department or Pastoral Leader, with the added responsibilities taking you out of the classroom and away from the job you joined to do.
In school the time available to support individual students’ needs, tailor content and learning in order to help them really reach their potential always felt limited. This was even more frustrating as I know how much of a positive impact personalised guidance and dedicated one-to-one teaching can make to children who have their own busy lives.
As a Geographer I have always enjoyed exploring new places and during the second year of my Geography degree, when I moved abroad to study in Canada, the world suddenly started to feel a lot smaller. I’ve not stopped travelling since, visiting over 40 countries across 6 continents and living in several of them. This spirit of adventure has continued in my family life: I am married to a British diplomat and we have three out-going and adventurous children – all born in different countries!
So as our international life and growing family has called for more flexibility, I’ve been able to return to the reason I started teaching in the first place: to teach Geography, now one-to-one as a private tutor.
Leaving my fantastic Geography team in Nottingham was tough, but with the use of modern technology and my knowledge and experience, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last three years of tutoring. I have loved the opportunity to engage, enable, and empower my tutees for success in their Geography studies. And the best bit has been seeing the results of their hard work and commitment. I’ve helped students fit in their studies around their training for international sports competitions, been flexible when they have been travelling or when they have just needed that bit of a boost in the lead up to exams. I’ve helped with university application advice (even if they don’t always want to study Geography!) and I have kept my expertise sharp by acting as an examiner for one of the main exam boards. It’s fascinating and rewarding in equal measure.
Living and working overseas, with an international family and a constant urge to travel has given me a global perspective on Geography that textbooks can’t capture. Having witnessed diverse cultures and landscapes firsthand – living in several – I can bring Geography to life for my students.
Now, as a full-time tutor, I leverage my flexibility and technology to personalise each session for my students. I am a busy mum who travels so when students say they need a flexible timetable or specific requirements – I get it.
My goal each day is that all of my learners maximize their learning potential and that I can enjoy the job I love while creating a healthy work-life balance for my young family.
Frances Bunn Geography Tutoring 
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