Meet Katrin Dennehy, a German native who has been living in England since 1995. Initially, she planned to stay for a year, but life always turns out different than we expect it. “I wanted to travel the world, but got stuck in Essex on my first trip,” says Katrin with a smile.

In her twenties, Katrin was running her own small pet shop. She went on to complete her bachelor’s degree in language studies, and started working as a foreign language assistant in a language school, a college and secondary school. Katrin loved teaching languages so much, she become a teacher.

Katrin has been teaching for over 11 years (she still tutors French, German, and English). She quickly worked up to Head of Year, and then Vice Principle in charge of Special Education Needs (she is a qualified SENCO – Safeguarding and Child Protection and Behaviour and Progress in Key Stage 3).

Seeking a Better Work-Life Balance

When Katrin saw the Tutor Doctor stand at a franchise exhibition, she became excited about the prospect of utilizing her knowledge and skills in education, and having a better work-life balance and more flexibility. “I am passionate about education, but unfortunately, the current education system has made it difficult to enjoy being a teacher as the work has become far too stressful,” she says.

“I was regularly working 60-65 hours per week, but constantly feeling I wasn’t doing any aspects of my work properly. It was also very emotionally draining being in charge of child protection as there are so many problems to deal with, and you are always wondering if you’re making the right decision.”

Katrin was drawn to the Tutor Doctor opportunity, and today, she runs the Brentwood, Dagenham, and Upminster area, which is in Essex, east of London. “Tutor Doctor gives me the opportunity to help students who need it on a one- to- one basis, and that is a much better experience for both the tutor and the student as they can really focus on what the individual needs help with; this is impossible in a class of 30 students.”

Several of Katrin’s tutors are teachers who have left the classroom, and who are enjoying tutoring as they get to do what they love (teach), but without the immense workload that comes with being a teacher in a mainstream school, she explained.

“My tutors feel very much appreciated by students and parents, and by me!” She continued, “You don’t get much thanks and well done as a teacher in school, usually you’re being told you’re not good enough and you should have had better results etc., so for my tutors (especially those who are teachers), the amount of gratefulness they get from families is amazing.”

Her Biggest Motivations

Katrin says her biggest motivation is helping students succeed and helping families cope with stressful situations. “I like working with schools as we get to tutor students during the day who are very difficult in the classroom and who can’t cope in a mainstream setting. We work with students who have been excluded from school; it’s great to see that often on a one-to-one basis they actually thrive,” she says.

When asked about the most rewarding aspects of running her own tutoring business, Katrin mentioned all the happy families, parents, and students, but also the happy tutors. She mentioned a lovely email from a tutor she received a couple days before, thanking her for being such an excellent boss, and for giving him the opportunity to tutor so much, something he genuinely loves doing and is brilliant at!

What it Takes to Succeed

To succeed with Tutor Doctor, you have to be a people person. You must truly care about students and education and wellbeing, explained Katrin. “We help families that are really struggling, and students who are unable to cope and very anxious about their school work or upcoming exams, and we give them back their confidence and self-belief that they can succeed and make them realize they just needed that bit of extra help. Unfortunately, with large class sizes and stressed out teachers in schools this is often impossible.” 

Katrin’s #1 piece of advice to new franchisees is to know the education system well so parents trust you to recommend the right package. “Know your local schools, and the issues they face so you can be empathetic to the problems students are experiencing.”

Since Tutor Doctor, Katrin’s personal life has improved. She says she gets to take time off when she wants, and can manage her own workload. She is busy, “but not running around like a headless chicken all day, putting out fires all over the place!”

“I take time out of my day every day to walk the dog and it’s lovely to be able to do that, walk in the forest and park and really enjoy life! I see my family and friends a lot more and I don’t cry over work anymore – ever! And I can actually listen to my family without being preoccupied with work all the time. It has made a massive difference to my lifestyle. It was a difficult decision at the time, but the best one I ever made.”