Jamie

As a qualified teacher I bring a diverse set of skills to my role as a tutor. Not only can I act as curriculum expert, able to design and deliver content effectively at a wide range of ability levels, but I am also able to use my knowledge of the science of learning to help develop life long learners.

In terms of lessons, I focus on what the student needs rather than delivering arbitrary content - I find that supporting the student in identifying areas that they need the most help is critical as this helps us prioritise our time and helps the student develop a more complete picture of their own scheme of knowledge, which can support more effective independent practice.

Tutoring Experience

I am a qualified teacher, with my status registered with the Department of Education, and I hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). My official subject specialism is science, with a sub specialisms in physics and mathematics. I have worked with, and been able to effectively support, a range of young people, from diverse backgrounds and with a variety of needs, both within and out with the classroom.

I graduated secondary school in Scotland, obtaining 4 A grade Advanced Highers (A Levels), specifically Maths, Physics, Biology and Chemistry, before going on to study an integrated Masters in Physics (MPhys) at the University of Edinburgh, where I obtained a first class degree with honours.

During my secondary and university education I gained experience tutoring other students in a variety of subjects, including successfully supporting a previous early school leaver to obtain suitable qualifications required to study for an undergraduate degree in nursing.

In 9 of the last 12 years, I worked as a software and infrastructure engineer, primarily within the setting of business to business consulting. This has allowed me to hone my mentoring skills - my role has frequently been centred around educating client engineers, including those with neurodivergent traits, and supporting the development of a client's business as they look to modernise and optimise their technological solutions.

Tutoring Approach

As a tutor, I take pride in my ability to offer support in a patient manner, understanding that everyone learns in a different way and that tailored support is necessary to help someone obtain their potential. I focus on helping people develop practical solutions that work for them - the best solution is not the one that the book teaches you, but the one that makes sense to you.

My ideal session would be to work through a selection of practical exercises as a means of identifying potential gaps in understanding. I would then aim to provide a range of alternative perspectives to view the gap from, before helping the student identify an approach that makes sense to them. I also like to provide support from first principles by reenforcing understanding around a subject area such that solving problems becomes less of an exercise in memory work, and more an exercise in the practical application of well understood concepts.

With all that being said, I am by no means rigid and I would certainly be prepared to have a chat about what sort of support you are after. If I can provide that support in a proficient manner, then I'd be happy to do so.