Christine

Maths/Biology/Chemistry/Physics

I am a fully qualified and highly experienced teacher of GCSE Mathematics and Science, specialising in GCSE preparation and mentoring for Y9-11 students. I now specialise in preparing students for Maths and Science GCSE exams - both from a teaching and a mentoring viewpoint.

Having graduated at University of Aston in Birmingham in Chemistry, I then trained at Birmingham University as a teacher in Maths and Science. I also completed a Masters MSc in International Educational Management and IT.

I have held roles as Head of Mathematics, Head of Science and as KS3 Mathematics Consultant for Birmingham City Council. Locations include mainstream secondary schools, behaviour centres, hospital wards and in home-teaching for children with physical, psychological and social issues.

I am currently enjoying using my teaching experience to focus on GCSE Maths and Science for Year 9-11 students, offering:

• Personalised tuition tailored to each individual
• Guidance in managing revision planning and exam strategies
• Stress management for emotional support.

I offer this combined approach to support students in their learning journey, so that they can both shine in exams and enjoy their maths and science learning on a daily basis.

Please feel free to enquire further if you would like to discuss how best I could meet your current learning needs.

Tutoring Experience

I have enjoyed teaching on Birmingham schools for 30 years - children and adults - in a wide variety of settings: mainstream schools, hospital schools, special schools, behaviour centres and also home tuition for the walking wounded! Lesson learned: all learners in all situations can be successful and happy in their learning.

Roles included: Head of Mathematics, Head of Science, Birmingham City Council KS3 Mathematics Consultant, ICT adviser, GCSE Maths Examiner.

Tutoring Approach

QUESTION: HOW DO PUPILS LEARN BEST?

Answer: (1) When they are enjoying themselves. (2) When they feel confident. (3) When they are successful.

Therefore, good teachers don’t just teach – they plan for enjoyment, confidence-building and learning successes, in every lesson.

To make it even more challenging, research shows it is actually harder to learn maths and science than other subjects, so it’s not surprising that pupils sometimes struggle with these subjects or that they lose confidence.

THEREFORE, MY TEACHING APPROACH ALWAYS INCLUDES:

(1) Assessment ... of each pupil’s interests and preferred learning styles.

(2) Planning … what to teach, building in these assessment results.

(3) Variety … a balance of activities: speaking, listening, explaining, presenting, drawing, mind maps, games, computers/handheld devices, interactive online activities, practical hands-on, problem-solving, flashcards, memory shortcuts …

(4) Making connections … to real-world situations and to previous learning.

However, I have learned over 20 years of teaching that these four only work well if (5) is also included:

(5) Maximising impact … reviewing and revising the learning, ideally with an audience of at least 1 other person.

This can be carried out in so many ways by the pupils themselves: presenting, demonstrating, recording a video, publishing a blog post (given parental permission) teaching others.

This is where parents, family or friends can play an invaluable role.

I ENJOY PROVIDING 1-1 TEACHING IN A RANGE OF SUBJECTS

Who? Children, young people and adults
What? Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Combined Science

Where? (Anywhere, becasue I offer Zoom lessons online!