Thomas D.

About me:

I am a full time Maths and Physics Tutor with over a decade of experience. I have a passion for challenging traditional ideas and finding new means to help students make their way through an increasingly strained, high pressure education system.

I tutor because it allows me to help young people reach their potential in typically difficult subjects, and because it provides rewarding and intellectually stimulating environment in which to work. A lot of tutors are university students or have a day job, which can draw attention away from their tutoring. I however, as a full time tutor, am able to focus 100% of my energy on helping my students.

My experience:

I started tutoring when I was in my second year of university, in March 2013. I continued to tutor alongside working until January 2019 when I went full time.

My previous jobs as a support worker at specialist schools allowed me to work with a wide ability range of students. On one hand I was teaching pre GCSE maths to a 17 year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD and severe Dyslexia; while on the other tutoring an A - level student that went on to achieve an A* in Physics and an A in maths.

This range of experience showcases my ability to relate to students on all levels, be they a top student who wants to secure an A*/9 grade or a struggling student who is worried they won't pass their exams. Maths and physics are difficult and often counter-intuitive subjects, but once my students realise that that doesn't put them in the exclusive domain of "things smart people do" they flourish, often stating how surprised they are at the ease with which they can answer difficult looking questions.

My approach:

I have found that students in mainstream schools can often be overlooked by teachers due to their workload and class size. This can cause students a great deal of frustration with the subject, leading many to believe that they "just don't get it" when actually they just lacked sufficient one on one time with a teacher. Tutoring allows me to help towards addressing this systematic problem.

My approach is tailored for the individual student, this includes but is not limited to: homework help, catching up with class work, racing ahead with class work, exam practice and help with planning and conducting revision effectively.

I emphasise conceptual understanding as a foundation of academic success. I will draw analogies between different topics to highlight how maths and physics are not a series of separate, isolated processes but a web of inter-related ideas. After a student has this foundation, the focus shifts to building on this understanding through worked examples and practice exam questions.