Emma

I am currently a PhD student at Edinburgh University, specialising in Neuroscience and Psychiatry. My educational and life experiences within Scotland, South Africa, India, and many other countries of the world have shaped me into a well-rounded person: one who is adaptable to comfortably interact with and assist people with an array of abilities that come of different holistic backgrounds. I have always had a passion for the Sciences, and as a result have grown to become an observant, organised, and methodical person. I hold and express a strong passion for academics, and find that a fundamental element of learning content is teaching it. I am thus offering to tutor Mathematics and Biology to students, as such an opportunity would allow me to dedicate my time and energy to a meaningful activity from which others and myself may benefit from.

Tutoring Experience

I attended the Mahindra United World College of India, and during the completion of my International Baccaleureate degree I tutored students, both within my grade and the grade below, in Higher Level IB Biology. I simaltaneously participated in an Active English teaching group, which involved organising and executing English classes at the local Mulshi valley Primary School to students aged 10-16 who spoke Maharati as their mother tongue. I also worked as an student councillor as part of a Peer Support programme, which entailed making myself available for one-on-one sessions with students who saught emotional/mental support. I tutored basic Mathematics for the last two years of my Undergraduate degree here in Edinburgh, and as a result have formed a skeleton teaching schedule which seems to run smoothly.

Tutoring Approach

My goal as a tutor will be to create a platform of mutual respect between myself and the tutee upon which I may develop their genuine understanding of large quantities of information; allowing them to build confidence in relating topics to the broader scientific/mathematical picture, and in tackling unfamiliar problems. My teaching approach emphasizes understanding over memorisation, and practice over repetition. Initially, I revise all the necessary material with the student, to isolate topics which they struggle to grasp. I would thereafter build the students' confidence with these topics through giving detailed explanations, presenting real-life examples, completing basic problems with them, and helping them to create their own diagrams/mindmaps/notes that solidify and further build their broader understanding. Throughout this process, I would always ask questions to ensure the student is thinking for themselves.