Tommy W

My passion for science and maths really arose when I was about 13 years old. I loved contemplating the big questions of the world, I enjoyed finding answers through science while also working out how it all worked and fit together through maths. Besides having a great passion for science, I did struggle myself somewhat with my own specific learning difficulties at school and sometimes found it difficult to follow my teachers in class. Teachers didn’t expect me to do all that well and I thought that maybe my path in life would lead elsewhere. However, with the help of a tutor I managed to get As in Science and Maths and went on to university to eventually get a first in my masters in Theoretical physics. From this experience I’ve grown to realise that a student’s potential is not at all represented by their attainment in a subject, and that many students have so much potential that they may yet unlock. The trick is to create the correct learning environment for them to do so. Every student is different, some students learn visually, through watching animated videos, or looking at visual representations and examples, others are more practical learners, learning through following through the process and going through practice questions. These ideas form the bedrock of my tuition and I apply it to every student that I teach and every class that I give. Tuition really helped me to achieve my potential and now it gives me tremendous satisfaction to have the opportunity to do the same for others.

In 2013 I graduated from Queen Mary, University of London with a First-Class M Sci. in Theoretical Physics. Since then I have worked solely in education. First for one year in school as a teaching assistant of mathematics, working with struggling students both in class and in intervention sessions. This gave me a strong grasp of the national curriculum, teaching techniques and vital first hand in school experience. After this I became a full time face to face tutor of university mathematics for a student with specific learning difficulties at Bristol University. As well as proving organisational support, I also tutored and supported him through all his mathematics modules, these included topics such as linear algebra, calculus, group theory and cryptography as well as 9 more. Since then I’ve been working full time as an online tutor for maths and physics having helped over 100 students at various levels achieve their target grades. I am now very familiar with the new spec and what is needed for it. I have provided comprehensive maths support to students taught from home, as well as students working towards an early GCSE and A level. In total I have been in education for the past 6 years since graduating and I have earned a lot of experience about how different students learn, how to encourage students and how to use technology to maximise teaching efficiency.

Every lesson plan is slightly different, depending on the student and the subject being taught. Normally I will, by doing a trial session get an idea of a student’s weak areas in a subject, through talking with them and going through some practice questions. If the student has taken some tests recently, this can be a very useful indicator of which topics they are having trouble with and areas that need improvement. I always keep track of all the topics that I cover with my students, and save class slides so that they can look over everything that has been covered in the lesson. In the class I use diagrams, coloured writing and images from resources to explain concepts and work through neat examples, at the students pace. Then we work through the problems together to make sure that the process has made sense and the student can apply what they have learnt. I also like to incorporate short video clips to demonstrate key concepts (especially in physics). On top of this I like to incorporate online interactive sources in my lessons, such as use of Geogebra, Justmaths and BBC bitesize, and work from CGP book questions, past paper questions by topic, and up to date past papers, as well as a number of other online resources. I normally suggest to my students that they get a graphics tablet as that can help in the lesson as they can write out their solutions to the problem, although it is not absolutely necessary, just suggested. If the student is doing GCSE or A level I normally like to set a short tailored weekly homework, normally just one or two exam style questions relating to the topics that we’ve covered. This helps refresh the student on what we’ve done and help me see how well they’re getting on. That being said, every student has different educational needs, so I always tailor my lesson plan to each student.

I have extensive experience with all major UK exam boards and all new (9-1) syllabuses. For maths I have tutored, Edexcel, AQA, OCR MEI (A&B), WJEC & CIE, for GCSE and A level. For Edexcel I have tutored that course comprehensively from GCSE up to A2 for home schooled students. Further maths, Edexcel, AQA, OCR MEI (A & B) & WJEC. For physics I have tutored, Edexcel, AQA, OCR & WJEC. I have also tutored for the Oxbridge Entrance maths exam and for university mathematics up the third year.

Almost all students I tutor have achieved at least a B grade in maths, and in many cases have done much better than expected. A couple of struggling students I have tutored have received a C grade, however this was still a grade they were very happy with considering we started very close to the exam. Here are some testimonies from students I have had in the past: “Tommy is a great teacher. He is very patient and kind and will always help, even when really struggling. So I really recommend Tommy to anyone for Maths and Physics.” “Great teacher.” “He helped me understand well the things that confused me the most in Statistics.” “Tommy is a very intelligent tutor. I am in Year 10 and my target is to get an A* in Maths and an A in Physics. Before I met Tommy, I really struggled. However he has increased my confidence and knowledge. Fantastic tutor.” “Thomas is simply exceptional and has a refreshing approach to both learning and teaching. His ability to grasp new concepts is exemplary and his commitment to teaching is un-paralleled.” “I have had the immense pleasure of working with Thomas for a number of years whilst he supported an intelligent but extremely difficult student through his Mathematics and Computing BSc. During this period Thomas demonstrated a diligence and dedication to his commitments that were outstanding. Often new topics were given to him at very short notice which he would research. His innate ability to pick up and practice concepts very quickly is impressive.” “Tommy has been a really helpful and kind tutor. He has helped me gain confidence in the topics i didn't know by teaching me the content and then we work through practice questions together in order to make sure i fully know the technique for applying my knowledge. He creates a warm and kind atmosphere and is always happy to go over things twice or clarify bits i didn't understand. Overall he has been very helpful in helping me achieve my full potential in the school.” As well as this I am also a published academic researcher with two academic papers to my name, one in Complex Systems and the other in Journal of Cellular Automata. I also design and create abstract strategy board games in my spare time which I also program into apps.