Thomas

Hi, I'm Tom and I'm from the West Midlands. I became interested in Psychology as a teenager after reading about ideas like cognitive dissonance, which came about because Leon Festinger studied members of a doomsday cult. And I became a teacher because I enjoy helping young adults get through college and into university, a time which I found stressful too. Therefore I try to focus my teaching (and now my tutoring) on being interesting, applicable to your life, useful and straightforward so that you do not experience more stress than you need.

Removed
Tutoring location 2: Swan Centre (shopping centre on the Coventry Road -- next to Swan Island) Costa Coffee (http://www.swancentreyardley.co.uk/our-stores/item/6-costa-coffee.html)

Tutoring Experience

I completed my PGCE in 2004-5 and have taught since August 2005 in the West Midlands area. I was a deputy head of a large teaching department for more than five years and have also trained Newly Qualified and PGCE student teachers. I've made resources on pretty much every topic imaginable and tried to make all of it understandable and clear. Also I've been examining A-Level Psychology for a major exam board since 2012.

My experience is in AQA Psychology and I have taught this current specification since it started in 2016. Right now in terms of paper 3 options I am teaching Schizophrenia, Gender and Forensic. However I have good knowledge of all other areas from previous teaching and/or marking.

Tutoring Approach

Interesting. Applied to your life. Focusing on what is required for the exam. Cutting out extra details which don't help. Pushing all students up to at least a C, with all the knowledge (AO1) and skills (AO2: application, AO3: evaluation) taught so students can gain A*-B with exam practice and revision.

We will focus on the content of each specification topic until you understand it. Then we will apply it using exam questions. Then we will evaluate in the form of PEELs (Point, Evidence/Explain, Evaluate, Link). Based on information from AQA I will tell you to aim for THREE PEELs in a 16 mark essay (unless it is an application essay with a story that the question asks you to 'refer' to: for this use TWO PEELs as the marks for AO3 evaluation are reduced from 10 to 6).

To break it down:
1) Understand the content, applied to our world and life if possible
2) Attempt an application exam question (AO2 applicatoin)
3) Evaluate the content (AO3 evaluation)