A bit about Linda A

Hello. My name is Linda. I have been a secondary school teacher for 6 years. Prior to that I was a medical representative in the pharmaceutical industry and a research scientist. I live with my cat and 2 dogs. I have 2 children that are young adults now and so I know how tough it is to get children to make the most of the opportunities that are offered to them in education. I remember how hard I found learning at school and I like to think I teach with that in mind; addressing misconceptions/misunderstandings head on and navigate students through physics which is a tough subject to learn. I have a diagnosis of dyslexia but this has never held me back and should never be used as an excuse or barrier to learning. We can all learn, it just depends on whether or not we think we can and how hard we are willing to try. Each lesson has a specific theme depending on the topic. So, we could be looking at the topic Energy. Within that I would provide lessons on different aspects of energy: such as What is an energy store and conservation of energy?; What is Kinetic energy?; What is Gravitational Potential Energy?; How do we measure and calculate Power and Efficiency? For each lesson, I would discuss the theme. So, what is kinetic energy?; Discuss some examples of kinetic energy; Discuss how energy stores are transferred to and from kinetic energy stores; Discuss the equation for kinetic energy. I would expect students to make notes on key concepts, write down key definitions, answer questions I ask to check their understanding and challenge me by asking me questions too.... I provide examples so they can practice using the equation and work through some exam based questions too. How my lesson plans out is dependent entirely on the student. If they are easily understanding the concept we will go through the work more quickly and I will give them more challenging questions. If they are finding it difficult we will go at a slower pace and do more examples so I am confident they have understood. At the start of my next lesson with that student, we will reinforce the learning from last time and build on that work for the next piece of learning. I qualified as a teacher in June 2016. Previous to that I was a teaching assistant for 4 years and I did some private GCSE science tuition then for Biology and Chemistry GCSE as well as Physics. Since qualifying as a Physics specialist, I have only offered Physics tuition. All tuition has been face to face and mostly within the setting of the secondary school where I teach. It is only since the pandemic that I have provided on line lessons for students at my school. So this will be the first time that I am offering GCSE and A Level Physics tuition using an online platform. Physics is a very challenging subject. If not taught well it is a subject students loathe. Yet the world we know today depends entirely on science and technology. Brilliant engineers take the key concepts that we learn in physics and transform them into applications and inventions that make our lives so exciting. So many students reject learning physics at A Level because they find it too difficult and confusing at GCSE. They have neither the patients or resilience to challenge themselves. I love teaching Physics in such a way to make it accessible. To build a students confidence in this subject so they have an "I can do this" attitude rather than "I don't get it and I never will"......I love to see students have those light-bulb moments when they can see they are learning and Physics is not a subject to be scared of but one to embrace. I am heartened to know that my GCSE and A Level lessons might just be providing a student with the foundations they need to go on and be those brilliant inventors and entrepreneur of the future. I am very organised. All my lessons face to face are supported by power point slides that I have produced myself. I would expect to still be able to use these with an online platform too. I expect students to have note paper and to make notes on key concepts/definitions and have a scientific calculator so they can practice calculations and problem solving. I provide worksheets which I would expect students to work through and mark to make sure they have understood the topic we are covering. I believe the teacher leads from the front, providing students with the information that they need. I am aware of many misconceptions and I will teach to eliminate them. My subject is very practically based and I want to try and demonstrate as much as I possibly can in an online setting and give students the tools to be able to practice some things in their own home too. It is a privilege to be trusted with the responsibility to giving a student one to one tuition. It is not the same as being in the classroom where you are having to cater to so many different needs, where you continually have to make compromises in what you teach to satisfy the learning experience of the many rather than focus on one individual. Tuition allows the time and space to really help an individual reach their full potential: whether that be an A Level student at the top of their game problem solving more efficiently that I am able to do, or seeing a younger student confidently rearrange an equation to solving a calculation and you know that is the first time they are really understanding what they are doing. Tutoring allows you to tailor the lesson to the individuals needs and watch them flourish. It gives me immense pride and satisfaction to know I have supported a student in their learning journey. To always give my very best effort to every student. To be prepared and organised so their learning experience is the best it can be. To accept that not everyone loves Physics and to try and teach it in a way that will help them. To accept there are some brilliant A Level Physics students who know and understand more than I do. To embrace that and learn from them too. I am organised and prepared and that gives them confidence in what they can learn. I am honest and reliable. I will share my knowledge and experiences with them freely. If I don't know an answer I will tell them I don't know, I won't try to fob them off. But we will find out the answer. My classroom is a safe environment where they will not be ridiculed for not knowing the correct answer but encouraged, supported and praised for having a go. My students know I am learning with them. No-one has all the answers and we learn together. I just lead the way. Having a student tell me because of my lessons they have gone from hating GCSE physics to it being their favourite subject, so much so they are going to take it at A Level. Longsands Secondary School, Longsands Road, St. Neots, Cambs PE19 1LQ Sept 1979- Aug 1984 O- Levels: English Language C, English Literature B, Maths B, Physics B, Biology B, History C, Geography C, Technical Drawing 1 CSE, Special PE 1 CSE Huntingdon Regional College, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire Sept 1984- Aug 1986 A-Levels: Biology Grade A, Pure Mathematics Grade B, Physics Grade C Awarded ‘Best A-Level Student’ two years running Sheffield University, Sheffield Sept 1986- Aug 1989 BSc in Physiology, (2:1) with Honours Kings College London, London Sept 1989- Aug 1990 Master of Science in Forensic Science, Pass with Distinction Awarded ‘Outstanding Student Award’ by the Forensic Science Society Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry, ABPI Exam, Pass with Distinction Southampton, Jan 1998- May 1998 Hibernia College UK, Sept 2015 Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course in Physics, Pass I qualified with QTS as a Science Teacher (Physics Specialist) in August 2016 Following an unhappy time in my life, I left the pharmaceutical industry where I had worked for 15 years. I became a teaching assistant in the school my children attended. I loved being back in the classroom. I was 43 years old. The students kept asking me questions about science and I couldn't remember the answers. It is frightening how much you forget. So, I bought the current GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics books and started to study in the evenings so I could help the students in class even though that wasn't really my role. I was only in class to support students with special educational needs. I was a TA for 4 years. I have seen so many teachers teach, some fantastic some good some awful. I was pretty sure I could do a really good job. So, when I was asked to train as a physics specialist I jumped at a chance. The rest as they say is history. I am interested in English History and I read historical novels. I have 2 dogs so I love walking with them. I have started growing vegetables though I am not great at gardening. I do as much DIY around my home as I possibly can. I recently installed guttering for a lean-too I have had built. I love to travel around the UK and abroad. I love music and I plan to combine my love of travel with my love of music and visit places that I know songs about, particularly in the USA, once the pandemic is behind us. I love to go to the cinema and watch movies and try different types of food. Currently I teach KS3 Biology, Chemistry and Physics - AQA specification KS4 GCSE Physics - AQA specification. I taught KS5 A Level Physics at my last school. We followed the OCR specification. The secondary school I now teach at does not have a 6th form which is one of my reasons for teaching privately. I miss teaching A Level Physics and being a Sherpa tutor would give me the opportunity to do this again.