Karen

I offer Combined Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Maths tuition to levels up to and including GSCE as well as AS and A2 level Chemistry.

I've always enjoyed science and finding out how things work and why - but I especially love being able to teach others and share my knowledge and passion with them so they too cannot only see how things work but have the tools to understand why they do as well.
I was fascinated about how things were made when I was studying my Chemistry, Maths and Physics A levels and seeing things actually happen with the reactions we undertook and wanted to learn more. So, for my Bachelors Honours Degree I chose Chemistry and studied at the University of Nottingham. In the first year of my Chemistry degree, I also studied the first year degree level Maths, Medicine, Biochemistry and Physics to compliment the Chemistry Bachelors Honours degree, as I really enjoy science. This continued in my second and final years of my degree in Chemistry where I studied the compulsory Physical, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry with the addition of Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Synthesis and Applications, Biochemistry and Astral and Solar Chemistry. It was also compulsory in my second year for continuation into the final year of my course, to complete courses and pass exams in both reading, translating and extracting information from scientific German and complete a Computing project.
Before I had finished my B.Sc (Hons) in Chemistry I had already decided that I still wanted to know more and went on to complete my Doctorate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry at the University of Southampton as well as doing a year as a Post-Doctorate as well ! My Doctorate covered areas to design and make drugs for cancer research, cell growth / growth factors and wound healing which was ground breaking at this time with the methods which I was designing and working on. The research I completed enabled numerous papers to be published and cited in many others, as work they had referred to. The research I completed has been used within these fields to aid others in their research, treatment and drug identification.
I currently run my own business and am a Consultant advising a wide range of Clients on health and safety / occupational health as well as training, teaching them in health and safety and am an external examiner in the areas of Health and Safety and Occupational Health. My science background is so often used, so I can draw on the knowledge and experience which I already have, which is great.
Additionally, I have held for many years a teaching qualification - professional trainers certificate.
I offer tuition for those who are home schooled and also those who attend school but wish additional support with their studies.

Tutoring Experience

I have provided tuition to those who have been preparing to take their Common Entrance Exams for 11+, 12+ and 13+. At 11+ they usually take Maths and English. Some require science as well and I tutor the Maths, English and the Sciences (Chemistry, Biology and Physics) for 11+, 12+ and 13+. Entrance exams are usually taken around January, May / June and November each year and form a key requirement for a number of schools where students are transferring to senior school at either of these ages.
There was an opportunity within one of the companies I worked at for you to volunteer in your lunch hour to teach reading, writing and maths to those at primary level and I did so, happy to give up my lunch hour on many a week day to spend valuable time helping those who were wanting to learn more and were finding it hard to do so without some one to one focus. I loved seeing how they started to shine with some time and input at their pace.
I have been an external examiner and marker for many years for those qualifying in Health and Safety and Occupational Health and tutoring other employees on how to deliver accredited and non-accredited training courses.
I have experience of demonstrating science and the practical aspects to undergraduates in Chemistry as well as proof reading many a Postgraduate and Undergraduate thesis and essays.
I have tutored for many years to students both within the UK and also abroad in numerous locations (Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Hong Kong, USA, Russia, Channel Islands etc). Many of the overseas students were seeking to attend schools or colleges in the UK and had to take entrance exams for the level / year they were wishing to start their UK education in. All were successful in achieving their first or second choice place.
I offer tuition on a one to one basis (online) for all students who wish additional support with their studies.

Tutoring Approach

From my years of teaching, I am very aware that everyone learns differently so I always adapt my teaching to my students. The most important part is to find out what way works for each student and use that approach so that they are really able to understand what they are studying as this then enables them to work towards the marks that they want. I am relaxed, calm and encouraging and have a good background in getting each student to perform to the best of their abilities. Where a student finds any part of a subject particularly hard or they just don't seem to understand aspects of it, then I establish what it is they struggle with and look for other examples or ways of approaching the problem to find the specific way that "clicks" with them. This approach has always worked, with many students now understanding topics that they thought they wouldn't until they came to me for tuition. The feedback from parents of my students clearly demonstrates that my tutoring approach works for each of their children as it is designed purely around their specific needs. Thus, it has enabled them all to achieve excellent grades at the associated studying level for each student and successfully be able to progress onto their next stage with confidence.