A bit about Stephen D

I have extensive experience of teaching Maths at multiple levels, including working towards a variety of external examinations. I have taught GCSE and IGCSE from Edexcel, AQA and Cambridge. I have also taught 11 and 13+ Common Entrance. I like to make things as simple and straightforward as possible, and with my experience I can guarantee you that there is no problem you can have I won't know how to help with! With over a decade of experience of all ages and abilities, from end of term tests to international maths competitions, I can help you to achieve your goals. I have been teaching small groups and individuals online at various times since 2010, and have worked with a wide range of students, in terms of abilities and backgrounds. I have a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics, as well as 12 years of teaching experience and a track record of outstanding results. My most recent school Cambridge IGCSE results were 100% A*-C, with 74% A*-A and 93% A*-B. I can teach from Year 6 - Year 11 (Grade 5 to Grade 10 in the US system). + GCSE or IGCSE from AQA, Edexcel or Cambridge. + Common Entrance (CE IAPS) 11 or 13+. I have had consistently excellent results for my exam classes. I have also had students achieve impressive feats in competitions, such as UKMT JMO entrants, consistent top 3 finishes in the prestigious MathCounts East Asian Chapter, and winners of competitions such as SASMO and SKMC amongst others. Lessons are usually split into a pre-diagnostic activity to assess understanding (What do you know already? What do you need to know?) This is then followed by targeted walkthroughs and interactive instruction, aiming to break everything down to the simplest elements. This will then be followed with a guided practice activity, to reinforce skills. Finally, a 'post-diagnostic' activity to check for understanding on the content of the lesson, and see if there is anything that still needs a bit more work! I am a very laid-back teacher, and like to ask lots of questions with a mixture of open and closed formats. I try to simplify the different strands and topics into manageable and easily memorised steps, to help build a holistic but also supported understanding that can be retained, and recalled in the future. My philosophy is pretty straightforward, in that I believe it is our role to guide students to the understanding they require through focused questioning and interaction. A positive relationship is key to this. By providing learning opportunities for students, and just as importantly as this opportunities for students to try and fail, but then review, you can create an environment where the student can test their boundaries and improve their independent understanding. Maths is a subject that has multiple moments of understanding. That feeling when it finally clicks and you say "hey, I get it now!" and the satisfaction that little win brings is unlike any other subject I have taught! I love sharing my understanding, and interacting with people to find ways to convey my knowledge. The ongoing challenge of finding easier ways to explain, instruct and provide understanding in students makes each day a little different, and variety after all is the spice of life... I enjoy cycling, football, taking too many pictures of my cat Meredith, and playing online fantasy football with a statistics based approach to victory!