Ian

Hi! My name is Ian. I live in Wokingham with my family, I have two children. I am a Biochemist, and studied Biochemistry at the University of Surrey, obtaining a first class degree. I have a PhD in Biochemistry, also from Surrey, and a PGCHE for teaching.
After my PhD I spend some time doing cancer research, before beginning teaching at universities, and I have over 12 years experience of teaching, including being a senior university admission tutor and programme director.
In my spare time I love playing sports, squash, badminton and I am a keen gym goer.

Tutoring Experience

I have tutored Biology and chemistry at A level and GCSE, and physics and maths at GCSE for over 8 years. I also have 12 years experience in teaching at university, having been an admission tutor I am able to help students in their application, and in the formulation of their personal statements.
I have taught study skills, academic writing and am able to tutor for entrance exams.

Tutoring Approach

Building a trusting and safe relationship with the tutee is key. Each person is an individual with different needs and this is not a one size fits all business.
The most important thing in tutoring is finding out what about the subject the student finds difficult. I believe in taking the student through each aspect of the sylabus in a given area of a subject to first identify the problem, and then i can construct a lesson plan based upon their weakness.
The second most important step is to identify where the student is with regards to their personal goals in the subject, and to also liase with the parents to find out where they want their child to be with regards to academic performance. I believe in positive reinforcement, and I honestly believe that, in the majority of cases, the underlying problem is a lack of confidence within a subject area, so I try and build up their confidence so that they can approach exams and problems with a clear head.