Ali

Tutoring Experience

I have been tutoring since 2018 and have delivered over 1000 lessons to date. These include tutoring A-Levels in maths and further maths in addition to preparation for the STEP admissions exam.

Tutoring Approach

The decision to take up maths tutoring seemed an obvious one to me. For a start, I find teaching to be a discipline with many pleasures. Perhaps no greater pleasure for me is being able to help students reach clarity in topics they may be struggling with.

Teaching is all about helping people, and that is at the core of why I find it so rewarding. Similarly, I am passionate about mathematics. Studying maths at university embodies a logical avenue for me to not only pursue this passion but also deepen my interest and knowledge of physics. My time at university has allowed my enthusiasm for maths to grow even further, and it is my hope that this enthusiasm is apparent in my tutorials. Tutoring provides an opportunity for improvement, and while this is true for the tutee, it is equally true for the tutor. So, while I am more than satisfied knowing a student leaves a tutorial having learnt something, I will always strive to make sure I do as well.

Practice makes perfect is an expression used often, however in my experience it could not be truer for mathematics. As such, students can expect my tutorials to be largely problem-based. Prior to each tutorial, I would ask that students specify the range of topics that they wish to be covered, in addition to any sample questions. On the one hand, this offers a useful starting point for the tutorial in which I can assess how well the student has grasped the concepts. In the case where students are uncomfortable with the content, I would be more than happy to carefully explain the underlying theory. On the other hand, the sample questions will enable me to prepare my own set of problems which would form the basis of the tutorial. It is my firm belief that challenging students is critical to their success, and this will be the fundamental purpose of these problems.

Hopefully, this will not only result in students developing a tenacity for unstructured problems but also help foster the study mindset that is imperative for success in A-Levels and beyond. Where other subjects may ask that you recall facts, mathematics goes further and asks that you apply them. I am dedicated to helping students apply themselves, so that they will hopefully be able to go far.