Christopher

I gained Qualified Teacher Status in 2018 after studying a PGCE specialising in mathematics at the University of Chester. Prior to this, I completed a mathematics Bachelors degree and was awarded First Class Honours. Maths has always been a passion and strength of mine, and I believe it is extremely relevant and useful in so many areas.
I have been a maths teacher in a Wrexham secondary school for 4 years, in this time helping my students achieve impressive results and I am currently the coordinator on numeracy in the school. I have taught a mixture of abilities, and have recently helped a class of 29 pupils achieve 27 A*s in maths between them, with the remaining two still impressive with As. Before this, I worked as a maths HLTA in a local secondary school, injecting enthusiasm into the lessons of some of the more reluctant learners.
My aim is to work with students to allow them to make as much progress as possible by planning in advance, understanding the needs of the students, making the subject enjoyable, and setting ambitious yet achievable goals.
I have created my own resources for many topics in maths such as ratio, trigonometry, solving linear equations and more. My experiences with a wide range of abilities have allowed me to understand the common misconceptions students may have, and my resources and teaching methods allow these to be addressed with ease.

Tutoring Experience

I have worked in local schools for around 7 years now. Allowing myself to experience very wide ranges of ability and attitude in schools has been extremely valuable.
My time teaching in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) gave me opportunities to adapt my methods and explanations to pupils with behavioural difficulties and learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia. I pride myself on being able to adapt to each individual, and I still apply these skills years later in my school and when I am tutoring. Now, as a mainstream secondary school maths teacher, I am described by my pupils as energetic and enthusiastic and I am always told that I make maths enjoyable but more importantly understandable. This is why I teach and tutor, to enthuse my students and to ensure progress.
I have tutored for around 7 years and always build excellent rapport with my students. I prepare in advance and adapt resources to the needs of the student.
As a result of my tutoring sessions, I have had students take GCSE exams and achieve several grades or more higher than their previously predicted grade.

Tutoring Approach

In my opinion, it is key for a tutor to be flexible. If students have a plan of action already, I am keen to support them and to adapt schemes of work to suit them. I am, however, extremely knowledgeable about mathematics and the paths necessary to ensure progress is made with efficiency, and so I can create a plan if the student is unsure of where their current strengths and weaknesses lie.
I refuse to let maths be described as boring. My aim is to make sessions enjoyable, memorable and useful so that students WANT to learn. I help students embed techniques into their mathematical thinking by recapping previously covered material so that what they have learned is not abandoned.
I help students create targets, give regular feedback, and direct students to other useful resources that will benefit their learning further. Ultimately, I want my students to believe in themselves and to achieve what they may otherwise have thought was impossible.