Samuel Muia

I have been a tutor(both in-person and online) for about 20 years, preparing students in OCR, Pearson Edexcel, AQA, WJEC and CIE exams. Over the time I have learned that no two students are the same: in some instances one comes across a very enthusiastic student , who claims knowledge of a particular topic(remember this is computer stuff, and can be very exciting), but on closer examination it becomes apparent that he or she is not that acquainted with it! In other cases a student looks 'bored stiff' by the subject but after clicking the right 'buttons' the student comes alive and even improves from grade C to A or even better! For me I always begin by endeavouring to get as much detail about the student as possible. This includes areas such as what he or she broadly knows about the subject or topic, the likes, potential dislikes etc. This becomes useful because I prefer tailor-made lessons, and there is need for me to be relevant all the time, and at the same time keep the student motivated.

Now one could be asking how I gather the information. Simple! The first lesson is free; besides, I always engage the parent/guardian - if the student is not an adult- to gather further information. The rapport created helps the student open up and share areas of strength and struggles in the subject. And what he or she likes can be a powerful tool for creating relevant illustrations and light moments in a lesson!