Sarah Wheeler

I am a Ph.D. research Physicist with over 15 years experience of secondary Physics teaching and tuition. I have worked at leading schools in both Switzerland and the UK.
My first tutorial session is always free so that I can assess the exact needs of the prospective tutee (topics to cover, learning style, particular worries, etc). This is also a good opportunity for the tutee or parents/guardians to ask questions. In subsequent lessons I may introduce new concepts using a pre-prepared powerpoint, which I will annotate as necessary. This is particularly useful when working online. I will send the powerpoint to the tutee before the lesson so they can already load it on their device. On other occasions I use an interactive whiteboard for more detailed explanations. I send copies of the whiteboard to the tutee at the end of the lesson. I make every effort to put my tutees at ease during the lesson as lack of self-confidence is often a problem. I encourage tutees to ask questions at any point and I strive for a conversational style whenever possible. After covering or reviewing content we would move onto practising problems. Here I would expect the tutee to take the lead. We would look at easier formative questions to begin with, moving onto more complex and past paper questions. I always encourage a short comfort break half way through each lesson. In preparation for exams, I help tutees to identify and implement effective revision techniques. We practice question interpretation and synoptic questions requiring longer written answers. We discuss time management and personal organisation as well memorisation and recall techniques. I also specialise in helping pupils manage the crucial yet demanding jump between GCSE and Sixth Form Physics.