Ethan Murphy

When I meet a new student, my first priority is figuring out what they struggle with when it comes to the subject. This may be anything from the process of revision to exam performance, so it's important that I understand where they need support, so that I can help them. In fact, my students will usually volunteer a topic or module that they find particularly difficult, which lead them to seeking a tutor, and we can focus on that until they feel more confident.

Often, having one-to-one conversations about the subject can allow them the time to ask questions that they might not have been answered in class, and this helps me reorientate the subject matter in a way they can understand it. I believe that every child's brain works differently, so it's much more likely that they simply don't understand the way a lesson is being taught to them, rather than not understanding the lesson as a whole.

Once a student feels confident in their knowledge, I can begin to test their ability to put it into practice. I do this using exam questions from past papers, using the exam criteria to help them structure their answer. Again, most students don't struggle to answer the question, they simply struggle to answer the question the specific way the exam criteria requires. Therefore, the best way to prepare for an exam is to teach them how to recognise how each type of question needs to be answered to score top marks.

This is the way I studied, and the way I usually tutor. However, I am always open to working in whatever way the student prefers.