Ian

I am a mature and experienced generalist tutor with wide interests and a genial cross-curricular approach to education, particularly alongside students that are otherwise disadvantaged. (See my CV in due course, and meanwhile the entry below this for a 'flavour'.) Many past students have appreciated my blend of pragmatism with enthusiasm that has helped them approach and achieve their targets more confidently.

Tutoring Experience

An Oxbridge-trained classroom linguist, I taught successfully in IAPS independent schools for my first 16 years, but since the turn of the Millennium I've enjoyed working more as a freelance generalist, supporting a wide range of students from home-schoolers to public-care children, teenage asylum seekers, Young Offenders and Ukrainian refugees (besides more mainstream cases) ~ mostly in core subjects ~ and a variety of EFL projects.
Further and deeper work has included mentoring and editing university-level academic submissions; writing a range of published educational materials for English GCSE, KS3 Maths and online educational quiz organisations, and originating PowerPoints for online GCSE History.
In 2021, vis TutorsAndExams during the Lockdown, I administered and marked some 27 'remote' public exam entries for independent candidates across 12 subjects to (I)GCSE and A-Level ~ learning plenty in that process (as any true teacher should always welcome a fresh chance to do) about the workings of Markschemes and Moderation. (Not one of my markings required any adjustment, it bears saying ~ even in subjects somewhat beyond my usual remit.)
I am experienced in delivering online tuition sessions using standard or custom platforms, and have my own bank of resources covering several subjects.

Tutoring Approach

Clearly this varies from case to case, depending on the nature of student and target (and timescale), but typically I clarify what's needed, sympathetically gauge any principal shortfall/s and go back to cover these patiently and methodically, with whatever reinforcement is required. Working at GCSE as I often have done, I try actively to establish positive cross-curricular links (and also to other life areas of known interest, e.g. a student's more rewarding engagement with a developing hobby); and I have a ready way with mnemonics, that some find helpful. I seek at all times to be positive (without 'pushiness'), enthusiastic and ~ of course ~ polite and respectful.