Calum

Tutoring Experience

I have extensive experience of tutoring students, especially at university level.

I have taught a range of medieval history modules at the university of Cambridge and have regularly gone into schools to give presentations on historical topics to students from Year 4 to the Sixth Form.

I have also advised Sixth Formers on university admissions, including to Oxbridge. I have tutored Latin, Maths and English at a range of levels, including at Primary School age.

Tutoring Approach

History:

Naturally the needs of the student change at each level. However, there can be no doubt that staring at a PowerPoint is dull for students of any age. I encourage teaching through discussion. At GCSE level and earlier a greater framework is necessary and so I would blend explaining events and concepts with discussion of the broad themes of the subject material. At A-level I would encourage greater independence from the student, aiming to ensure the student can establish a good knowledge of events independently, while guiding interpretation of the event through case studies and primary material. For university admissions, I can discuss why a student has chosen the subject and how to express their enthusiasm in the best way in their personal statement. If admissions tests are involved, I can supply mock tests, which I will go through with the student, before getting them to practice on their own. I can also provide Oxbridge interview preparation, which with my knowledge of the Cambridge admissions process, should provide a useful groundwork for what to expect. At undergraduate level, I assess the student’s depth and breadth of knowledge in written work or discussion before guiding them to explore the issues in greater depth by introducing them to key debates and reading materials.

Latin:

The pleasure in studying Latin is the opportunity to read the work of people who lived two thousand years ago. I encourage learning by using genuine texts (such as Caesar, Tacitus, Suetonius, Cicero and so on). As students realize they can access these texts, I find they have a genuine pleasure in the language and a sense of real accomplishment. I try to teach grammar by providing both simple examples I have created and examples taken from original sources so students can see how the language works on a basic level and how a native speaker would use it. In analysing the literature, I encourage discussion, looking at the text to see how the author structured their language to make it effective. Latin also involves learning vocabulary. To help my students I create pneumonic devices to help the words stick in their memories. In short, I try to make a dead language feel alive and exciting.

GCSE Maths:

Mathematical concepts can sometimes seem very abstract and unrelated to real life. In explaining problems, I seek to use practical examples to help the student use the world around them to approach their mathematical studies. I will go through an example with my students before asking them to explain it to me themselves so I can ascertain how well they have understood the problem. Practice is very important in Maths and I try to use games to make the practice less dull.

GCSE English:

English language and literature require different approaches. I find supporting studies of English literature works best by focussing in on short extracts from the works the student is studying. By reading through these and analysing the author’s text it can be easier to access the rest of the work. For English language, I provide a range of texts to show how the complexity of language alters how it is read and how effectively information can be conveyed. I encourage students to form their own opinions of the texts and discuss why they think particular pieces are particularly powerful or weak.