Teachers' articles, thoughts and opinions

Why do maths tutors recommend past papers? You may be wondering why tutors for maths incessantly recommend the use of past papers when preparing for exams. The answer is simple, but the impact is profound. Past papers provide a practical, focused and effective way to grasp and master the concepts required for your maths exams. They enable you to familiarise yourself with the exam layout, question style, and marking schemes, all of which are cruc...

I recently finished reading the book 'Breath' by James Nestor. The book explores how the human species has lost the ability to breathe properly over thousands of years and is now suffering from a long list of illnesses like snoring, sleep apnea, asthma, and autoimmune diseases because of poor breathing. Breathing is something we can do without thinking yet the importance of how we breathe isn’t acknowledged as much it ought to be....

Exercising can be one of the most difficult goals to achieve for some people, especially when they set important goals for physical improvement. If you're in that group, don't worry, you've come to the right place. We'll tell you about the benefits of taking private tuition with a personal trainer or private sports tutor. It doesn't matter if your goal is to take gym classes, or if you want to take sports classes without any specific preference;...

Where to go and what steps should you take if your child needs a tutor? Assuming that our child needs private tuition is a very important step. Not all parents come to this conclusion under the same conditions. Some make up their minds when the first bad marks arrive, others decide to wait a little longer, while others don't even wait for the results and decide to hire support in the face of a negative attitude. There are platforms on the intern...

There are several routes to becoming a maths tutor, and none of them are easy. You can be a tutor of many subjects and in many different places, such as schools, colleges, universities, and tuition centres. However, what most determines a tutor's career is the subject they choose to teach. Therefore, if you want to tutor maths, you will have to study something related to maths or science.   What do you have to study to teach...

Are you having problems with your chemistry lessons? Are you having difficulty learning the periodic table of elements? Are you unsatisfied and looking for private tuition to reinforce your knowledge? Go for private tuition! You will get the after-school tuition you need in chemistry. If you see that your grades are not as good as you would like them to be, by working with a private tutor who gives you quality science lessons, you will be able ...

  While the term ‘prokaryote’ may not be all that familiar, everyone will have heard of the most common examples – bacteria. Often referred to as microbes as a nod to their microscopic size, these creatures, while tiny, pack an outsized punch. And they’re everywhere. The name prokaryote means ‘without a nucleus’, meaning they lack the distinguishing feature of the more complex cells that make up organisms like you and me (‘eukaryotes’). Des...

Understanding Linear Functions What Are Linear Functions? Linear functions are a fundamental part of algebra that describe relationships between two variables. These relationships are called linear because, when graphed, they form a straight line. In essence, linear functions showcase how one quantity changes concerning another. Key Components of a Linear Function Before we dive into graphing linear functions, it's essential to understand their...

As a maths tutor, I´m often asked by my students what text books they should use at A-Level maths or university level maths. There are many that can be of benefit, but below I´ve listed my top ten choices. "Advanced Mathematics for AQA" by Stephen Lee and Roger Porkess: This book covers A-Level Mathematics in a rigorous and comprehensive way, making it suitable for university-level students who want to revisit core concepts. "Further Mathem...

Teaching chemistry can be an exciting and rewarding profession, especially for those who enjoy scientific experimentation and discovery. In this article, we'll explore the many facets of becoming a chemistry tutor, from the academic requirements to the skills needed, the advantages and challenges, and everything you need to know about this exciting career field! What makes a chemistry tutor? A tutor who offers chemistry classes is much more th...

Are you or your child looking to master the language of Molière? Do you want to enrich your personal life, prepare for a French exam such as GCSE, or simply discover the richness of French culture? It's a great project and to get off to a good start there's nothing better than a good frame of mind! 1. The right frame of mind Before embarking on your linguistic adventure, it's essential to adopt an open and curious mindset. You'll be exploring Fr...

As a maths and science tutor for KS1 and KS2, I often have parents asking how they can help their child prepare for their SAT exams. First of all be aware of all the subjects that will be assessed in the KS1 assessment. The key subjects are Maths and English. The curriculum is normally covered over a two year period from Year 1 to Year 2. This is the process I would recommend. 1. Identify all topics in each year group for Maths and English...

As a private tutor for statistics, I have found that distribution and probability are topics that can cause a lot of confusion amongst students. Below are a number of example questions with solutions to help you in understanding probability.  Question 1 Three coins are in a box. One is a two-headed coin, another is a two-tailed coin and the third is a fair coin. One of the coins is selected and flipped at random, heads come up. What is the...

I have just finished my A-Levels, having completed the 2023 set of examinations, which have made headlines due to the return of 'pre-covid grading'. I was happy to achieve an A* grade in Economics and I believe this may not have been possible without certain key pieces of information to use both in preparation, and during the exams themselves. I have also been able to view my papers, which I hope has given me extra insight regarding the exam ser...