Information About Leonard - Wanganui tutor -

(2 reviews)

Personal Description:

I've been in love with Mathematics since my student days and I enjoy sharing the passion with students: to show them the beauty and the depth of the subject and to see them excel. I'm also effectively bilingual (English and Mandarin Chinese).

Tutoring Experience:

I was born and raised in Singapore, and taught in a school there for 10 years before moving to New Zealand in 2009 and have been teaching here since. I went through the Cambridge examination system all my life, both as a student doing the O and A levels, and later on teaching under that system in Singapore, a country whose academic performance is well-known all over the world (having topped international rankings PISA and TIMMS for Mathematics and Science). Even now, here in New Zealand, I teach in a school that offers the Cambridge examinations exclusively. Hence, I have a wealth of experience with the Cambridge examination system, and I am also a fully registered teacher with the New Zealand Education Council.

Tutoring Approach:

Through my years of tutoring and teaching, I have come to realise that students need the following in order to excel in Mathematics:
(1) Fundamental skills and understanding concepts
(2) Problem-solving skills
(3) Ability to see problems from different perspectives
(4) Creativity
It is important to first develop (1) and (2) to a reasonable standard, after which (3) and (4) will come, and with these, a much higher level of performance, greater confidence and a deeper appreciation of the subject. I would quickly assess the student's current level and take it from there. Having experienced so many students in the course of about 20 years of teaching and tutoring, spanning both Asian and Western cultures, I believe I can find ways to help a student improve as long as the student is willing to work with me.