Wendy Earnshaw, a retired school teacher, made a change late last year, moving from the hustle and bustle of Sydney, to enjoy a more relaxed and slower paced lifestyle in Hawks Nest.

“I’ve been holidaying in Hawks Nest for over 20 years and last year I made the decision to exchange my fast paced life, for freedom and space,” said Wendy. “As an English Teacher with over 40 years’ experience, it’s a great place to relax and get the creative juices flowing.”

Wendy has taught students from primary to secondary, including HSC level, as well as tertiary level at Tafe. She is also qualified to teach English to those with non – English backgrounds and can assist with accents and pronunciation. Although she moved to Hawks Nest to retire, she has decided to establish a home tuition service.

While Wendy prefers to tutor from home so that she has access to all of her resources on demand, she is also happy to travel, as well as offer mentoring via phone and email.

Specialising in creative writing, grammar, literary and film technique and analysis, Wendy also teaches research skills and organisational skills and helps students learn to monitor their own progress and journal how they are feeling.

“The biggest thing I try to install is confidence in writing. I teach the importance of writing first and editing later. A lot of people get hung up on not being able to spell a word and don’t manage to get their thoughts to paper. This is a particularly important with the pressures of the HSC where time is limited.”

“The school system has become very competitive and students become disheartened when comparing themselves to others. I reward my students with encouragement and positive constructive feedback, and find that this really helps my students.”

By Rebekka CUNNINGHAM