Martin M.

I have 35 years experience teaching Biology. 22 years teaching Biology in a secondary school as a Head of Biology and then Head of Science. I have taught both OCR and AQA Biology A level and I have also experience of teaching triple Biology and Combined Science teaching Chemistry and Physics. I also really enjoy teaching Human Biology having taught modules in Health and Social Care level 3 and A level Human Biology AQA. 

Before teaching in schools I taught at Field centres in Somerset and in the Lake District teaching Ecology, freshwater and also marine ecology. I also taught the Open University fieldwork courses in the Lake District. 

I have taught all aspects of the A level Biology and my aim is to make it as easy as possible for students to understand some of the complex parts of the A level. I enjoy using a variety of different teaching methods to improve students understanding which includes using mneumonics and going from first principles so that students get a better understanding of the topic. 

It is important to always start from first principles and gradually work up to the more complex ideas and concepts. Often with teaching large sets key concepts may be assumed and this is why one to one tuition is important.

The other major problem with A level Biology is sometimes not the knowledge but how to apply it to the questions. It is important that during a session or after a session an A level questions are attempted. The focus will be on making sure that the questions are answered to the correct level of detail to maximise marks. Using terminology and learning what the examiner wants can the difference between an E grade and an A grade.