A bit about David M

I qualified as a teacher in 2013 and have taught Maths and science at secondary schools in Wiltshire. I set up as a private tutor in 2016 and have seen a huge number of students through to GCSE and iGCSE in Maths and all three sciences, I am now lecturing at a University, but still tutor around this. My first passion is Maths, but I have an avid interest in all the sciences as well and can clearly see how they all cross over and tie in together. I have always had a flair for mathematics and the patterns and logic that it follows and try to get this sense of fun, exploration and enlightenment across in my lessons. More often that not, I will check in with the student - it is important to have some rapport and understand how their day is going! If there is a specific area that a student is keen to work on, then I can adapt the lesson to fit in with that, otherwise I will quickly build up a picture of where there is room for improvement and confidence building and focus on that as required. initially in 2016 when approached by several parents of the pupils I was already teaching at school - they ll wanted that additional boost outside of the classroom in the run up to GCSE. When I left one school, I then had a large number of parents and students that wanted to continue with me as they had got so much out of my lessons when I was their teacher. It has grown from there! I most enjoy the sense of achievement that I see in the students when they tackle something that they would never thought possible. By building on the basic understanding of maths and encouraging them to have a go at some of the more tricky problems, it is so rewarding to see the confidence bloom and grow. I am friendly and laid back in my approach and allow the student to lead as much as possible. I try to keep asking questions and gently direct the student towards the answer themselves so that they find their own way and gain the confidence to have a go. My mantra is that you learn a great deal more from a wrong answer than from always getting it right. I really enjoy working 1 - 1 rather than in a large class. Getting to know the students a bit better and being able to really understand where their interests lie makes a huge difference to their interest and success. In the classroom, individual learning styles can be so diverse that it was always a balancing act to get the best out of each and every student. As I have mentioned already - we learn from our mistakes and it is only by challenging ourselves and trying something more tricky that we can advance. I see myself as someone that can provide really good feedback on where students can get even better at their subject and steer them in the right direction to advance and improve themselves. I have been told that above all, I am patient! I understand that students struggle with maths and science and that it is not just a case of "not being able to do it" This means that I will always try a range of approaches to suit each individual students and encourage them to keep trying. the other phrases that I have heard are "fun", "nice" and "relaxed" My greatest success has been seeing the pupils I have tutored go on to get better grades than they expected! In particular, I have recently been tutoring one student that has failed her GCSE maths 3 times prior to working with me. I saw her through all the challenges of the pandemic and even found a way to enter her directly as a private candidate when the exams were cancelled with the end result being that she has finally passed and been able to go on and pursue her dream of a place at university. This has been the case with more than one of my students, and it is very gratifying to see them achieve so much. I hold a PGCE in secondary mathematics from Reading University and am now working towards and further teaching qualification and my masters whilst working at University. I also hold an honours degree in business management and A-levels in Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I really enjoyed my own school e experience and wanted to be that teacher that inspired and encouraged, just as I had been. I have always thrived in roles as a teacher or trainer and enjoy passing down the experience I have gained, but also find that I am, myself, still learning all the time! I enjoy watching sports, especially rugby, cricket and formula one, and have a outing family that I spend my time with, walking our dogs and enjoying days out whenever we can. I have taught Edexcel and AQA GCSE and Cambridge iGCSE boards. I have taught across all age groups, from KS2 to KS4 and a small amount of A-Level.