Matouš Schnabel

A few days before the lesson is to take place I will discuss with the pupil what area of maths we will focus on this week. I will then prepare a study plan for the session. The first thing we do during the actual meeting is to check the homework assigned the week prior. Here, I do not simply want my tutees to get it right, but I want them to be able to explain to me why what they did is right. My main teaching philosophy is for the student to understand the subject and not merely be able to apply the required method. This is why I don't interupt the students when they are trying a non-standard method, because there is never only one true way how to do maths. If the tutee arrives to the same result by a valid method of their own making then this shows me that they understand the subject. I like to explain complex topics by breaking them down and explaining their parts using anecdotes tailored to the pupil's interests, so that they would better remember and understand why what they are doing makes sense. After the homework we shall start with the topic selected by the stuednt to focus on. Here we go first over the theory, where I explain how what we are doing works. Then we move onto the exercises. I have a habit of creating my own exercises made specifically to challenge my pupil or I ask extra questions during the standard exercises to try and get the tutee to think about the subject as more than meagre formulas, methods and numbers. My main aim throughout our session is to show how maths truly connects to everything and thus I do not wish to suppress new ideas a student might have, but encourage them to develop them and see if they work and learn from the experience if they don't.