Robert Dodds

I’m a qualified secondary school maths teacher with 12 years’ classroom experience, and I specialise in helping students overcome the “maths is hard” mentality. For me, confidence is key—once a student starts to believe they can do it, progress and exceeding targets naturally follow.
Before teaching, I served in the RAF as an Aircraft Electrical Engineer and gained my degree through the Open University. I spent several years as an instructor in the RAF, so moving into teaching was a natural step. That background means I’m very used to breaking complex ideas down into clear, manageable stages.
Most of my lessons are online via Zoom, though I can offer face to face sessions depending on distance. In every lesson, I make sure the building blocks are secure before we move on. I use a structured five stage learning process:
1. Demonstrate: I model the method step by step while the student follows.
2. Explain: The student explains each step back to me so I can check understanding and keep them on track.
3. Independent practice: They attempt the full process themselves, with support only where needed.
4. Consolidation: We use targeted practice to strengthen the new skill.
5. Revisit: We return to the topic later so the understanding is reinforced and doesn’t fade.
My lessons are calm, supportive, and focused on building success one step at a time—so students not only improve their grades, but also feel genuinely more confident with maths.