Lucy Lambard

My first lesson I always talk to the student about what areas they are struggling, what exam board they are (I have taught AQA and Cambridge International, but am always happy to teach in more!), what optional courses their school is taking etc. I also like to talk through previous revision technique, and help make future revision plans, giving tips on effective and tailored revision and when might be best to apply it.

If exam technique is the main struggle, I run through past papers with the student, varying whether I help them to write the answer, or mark it and re-write it. I have found this the most effective revision tool both in my own experience and in my teaching experience, and it also teaches a good skill for the student's independent revision. I can also run through content with the student, picking out key information from an online textbook, my own past flashcards, or any other materials provided, and testing for gaps in knowledge, especially with information the student might not have thought was relevant. I am more than happy to mark independent work/past papers that a student has done outside of a session, and answer any quick questions they might have between sessions.

When teaching, I always make sure to make the student feel as comfortable as possible asking questions, or letting me know when there are parts of my explanation they do not understand. I make sure to emphasise that we can go over a topic, experiment etc as many times as possible until they feel confident, and that there are no bad questions! If I don't have the answer to a question they have, I show them how and where they can find the correct answer themselves if it comes up outside a session.