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Finlay M

£50/hr

Experienced, Supportive, Unpretentious - Winner of Best Tutor (Agency)

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A bit about Finlay M

My philosophy with teaching is one which always places an emphasis on inner responsibility: no matter who you are, you can do well, but it always requires a desire to do well, and a motivation to work hard. I will persist tirelessly for my students, but at the end of the day, they have to want to win themselves! I want all my tutees to learn that education (at least doing well in exams) is as much about playing a game with the exam board as it is about learning. I want to make lessons fun, and I give my students all the relevant techniques that will set them up for tangible results. I know as well as they do that learning lengthy bits of information is arduous and can be unenjoyable. What matters is that they gain confidence and competency quickly, and I will always push them with my style of questioning, which aims to mirror an Oxbridge classroom. They are quickly given independence with their education, and this independence should drive a deep inner confidence. I want kids to be comfortable in early failure: if we iterate through multiple failures quickly, early on, by the time we get to the exam we'll have covered every possible mistake. My methods derive initially from the experience I've had teaching my brothers. I have 3 younger brothers, and after achieving a clean sheet at GCSE (9A*s and 1A), my Mum wanted me to help them. I was beginning A-levels at this time, and with limited time as a 17 year-old, I had to convey all the relevant bits of information that they actually needed to know. Like I did to my brothers, I give my tutees what they need to know, and try to mix in a bit of life advice alongside! As of the time of writing this, my youngest brother just got a clean sheet of GCSEs (all A*s)! The technique clearly works. My favourite thing about tutoring, without doubt, is when you can see the moment that knowledge and confidence click for a student. Confidence in your abilities is surprisingly low amongst many students, who (after struggling the first time) believe they're stupid! It couldn't be any further from the truth. When you really help to build them up, giving them practice, knowledge and reassurance, there will always come a testing point where they demonstrate what they know. When the student shines, and they see the result for themselves, the core belief switches like a lightbulb within their head, and that is always visual on their face. As a tutor, that's what I live for. Nothing could be more rewarding than helping people to realise that they have every chance to do well and succeed in education, and in life. My brothers! I explain complexities in a very simple way. I do not judge or ever shame students for their questions; I always treat my students like adults and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning. The main feedback I get from students is that they like how I treat them like they're normal people: I'm not pedantic, nor do I (or will I) ever talk down to my students. They're merely the same as me, but younger, and I believe thoroughly that if they are willing to take steps to achieve with their learning, they can and will do well. I've had kids want to take selfies with me after lessons and kids who want to do specialised handshakes with me. I believe truly that I'm a relatable, kind person - but this is never at the expense of true, quality teaching. As you scroll through the pages to find a tutor, keep in mind what you're looking for. If the answer to that question is 'results', then I am the right person to choose. I have tutored for 2 years; the last year at the largest educational charity/agency in Manchester. Within 3 months, I won the 'Best English Tutor' award out of 60 tutors. I'm not a qualified English teacher, nor have I even done English at University, yet counterintuitively, this is exactly what puts me in the ideal position to teach. I know exactly what is relevant, and I won't go above and beyond to teach you all the minutiae which serves no purpose. Unfortunately, this is something I remember happening a lot when I was at school -- English teachers knew lots about the various books, yet knew nothing about how to score well in an exam. I remember what it was like doing my GCSEs; I have just passed on all of my methods to my younger three brothers. The youngest just finished this year with a clean sheet of A*s. I myself have achieved a clean sheet of A*s and As in every subject I've ever done at school. At The University of Manchester, I have achieved a 1st class in Law in my exams (thus far). Such results make no tangible impact to my character or personal qualities: what I'm trying to tell you is that I have a track record of knowing how to approach exams. I can instil such abilities in your child, too. In my mind, what separates good from bad students is largely their exam technique. This involves memory, of course... but surprisingly, people can often remember much more than they'd expect. What is crucial, and what I place major emphasis on, are the techniques that translate the knowledge into high grades. I will cover all relevant facts rigorously, making sure your child is not only well equipped knowledge wise, but rather so that he/she cannot fail. What separates me from other tutors is that I will go beyond this to teach your child how to play the examiner's game... Doing well in an exam is primarily about your 'exam appearance': in other words, the phrasing of ideas. This seems to be an incredibly simple concept, but in truth, most people pay no thought to the matter. We spend all our efforts on gaining the knowledge necessary, and no time whatsoever on the underlying techniques necessary to get our thoughts across.

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Teaches

Subject Rate
English
Level
GCSE
 £50/hr
Law
Level
GCSE
 £50/hr
Law
Level
A-Level
 £50/hr
Law
Level
Degree
 £50/hr

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