Jonathan

I graduated from the University of Birmingham in the summer of 2010 with a first-class degree in Mathematics with honours, having previously achieved grade A in Maths, Further Maths, and Physics A levels in 2007. I’ve been working as a full-time maths tutor ever since.

I’ve always enjoyed maths (even if I didn’t always want to admit it!), and I’ve long felt that I possess the key traits that make for a great teacher: patience, affability, enthusiasm, and an ability to explain things clearly. The feedback I’ve received from students and parents over the past fifteen years has reinforced this belief — though I’m aware there’s always more to learn and always room to improve.

Tutoring Experience

Since leaving university, I’ve been fortunate to have worked with hundreds of students of all age ranges and ability levels - from primary school students, to GCSE and A level students, all the way to mature students who are either looking to brush up on their maths for fun or who need help with a qualification they’re working through as part of their career path - all of whom had a wide range of targets and expectations for what they wanted to achieve.

Tutoring Approach

My approach to teaching has always centred around patience and clarity, along with creating an atmosphere in which whoever I’m working with feels comfortable enough to stop and ask a question when they don’t understand something - and to not be afraid to tell me when what I’m saying makes no sense whatsoever! (Which fortunately only happens occasionally!)

A common concern I hear from students is that their school teachers move through the material too quickly, making it difficult to catch up once they fall behind — especially in a subject like maths. I fully understand the challenges of teaching groups, having done so myself on occasion. But the key advantage of one-to-one tuition is that the work can be tailored specifically to the individual. Topics that might generally be considered difficult can be covered quickly (as long as they’re fully understood), while areas that teachers usually rush through can be explored more thoroughly if the student needs it.

Topics are worked through from start to finish (except perhaps for when they are simply being revised) with staggered examples and questions so that the progression from the fundamentals through to the most difficult aspects seems as fluid and natural as possible. When the time is right, I’m more than happy to challenge the student a little in an attempt to progress them more rapidly, but I’m equally happy to revisit a topic as many times as is requested and necessary in order for it to be fully understood.

If you’re considering one-to-one tuition — whether for yourself, a family member, or a friend — it’s important to remember that the effort you put in directly affects the results you get. One or two hours a week can lead to some improvement, but combining lessons with consistent independent work before and after sessions can unlock tremendous benefits. (And on that note, I’m happy to provide homework questions for practice between lessons.)