Gladys Y.

My name is Gladys Young (she/her) and I am an experienced tutor in A-level and GCSE maths and sciences. With a degree in biological sciences from Durham University, I have advanced experience and understanding of both Biology and its associated studies. While I specialised study into ecology, evolution, botany and mycology, Durham ensures a strong foundation in molecular and cellular biology, physiology, genetics. Additionally, with a further mathematics A-Level and optional mathematics module in my degree, I have a solid knowledge in the mathematics needed to understand science. 

In addition to adacemic knowledge, I have developed many communication skills in my day-to-day life which I strive to use when tutoring, explaining advance and complex topics and concepts in easy-to-understand terms. I've used my personal communication skills in both professional and academic circumstances, having given lectures and presentations at Durham on advanced biology topics. 

I strive to be a kind, engaging and patient tutor. My main goal is to foster understanding of the topics being taught, both for the academic content and for the technique needed to answer exams/essays. I also aim to understand what the student needs in their studies, so I can provide the specific support they need; every student learns differently, and I adapt to each individual's learning style. Additionally, students often need to focus on a particular aspect of academics, such as covering missed content, understanding complex concepts or improving exam technique. I adapt my lessons to the relevant focal points, by incorporating exam-style questions into lessons on content, or touching on aspects that go beyond the specification to improve understanding.

In lessons I tend to make use of visual cues and diagrams that are usually drawn digitally, with additional notes to clarify and define key points. These diagrams include visual aids such as anatomical diagrams, chemical formulae and graphs, but also include flow diagrams to explain concepts and processes. When making these diagrams and notes I also tend to use colours and highlighting to link ideas and make key words or phrases stand out, and compliment them with discussions and spoken explanations. While this is my general approach, there is a lot of flexibility in this; depending on how the student engages, I can put more focus on the written notes, or the drawn images, or the spoken discussion.