Alistair

I beleive that Maths is one of the best subjects for learning resilience. It is a subject that is not easy and the challenge is breaking it down in to small manageable steps while regulating the mind and body to stay calm and keep the "thinking brain" active.

My degree is in Electrical Engineering and I switched to teaching after 5 yeares in industry as a Software Engineer. I taught Maths for over 20 years in secondary schools, thriving on working with the classes that needed the biggest boost.

I am a Mountain bike guide, FPV drone pilot, harmonica player and alto saxophone player. My proudest title though is Dad- father of 2 daughters.

Through my own experience of schools and growing, up I am trauma informed and emotional regulation techniques are my expertise.

Tutoring Experience

Taught Maths in secondary schools in Scotland from 2006 till 2024. My main expertise is in the BGE and National 5 and National 5 Apps, excelling in classes which were borderline pass. Over the years I continued to ask other teachers how they would teach topics and also learn from students. I am not afraid of making mistakes and see this as a valuable learning process for life.

I was Principal Teacher of Inclusion in a temporary post for a few months, where I was able to use my personal experience, extensive knowlege from reading and natural friendly nature to engage pupils who were disengaged.

I initially began teaching in 2004 in Birmingham, England having completed a PGCE in Mathematics.

Tutoring Approach

My style is to first and foremost try to relate to the student and make them feel at ease. I prefer to use a visualiser with paper and pen since that allows me to use diagrams and my highlighter pens to make my teaching clearer for the student.

I tend to teach a topic from the knowledge required before the skill we are working on, and then build up the skills. I will then normally show an example of how to solve a problem with teaching tools along the way before then giving the student a similar example to then work through.

My natural humour and gentle approach has worked well with students. I have taken students on who other tutors have refused to take.