Political Science student teaching Maths and Chemistry for GCSE and A Level

Find out more about Paras A

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I really enjoyed maths and the sciences (namely chemistry) at school, so I thought why not teach the subjects I love? It would also help other students who are in the position I was in, and I can give them tips that I wished to have for myself when I was studying. It also gave me the chance to earn some extra money which is always useful in today’s climate, especially as a student.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, and the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I mainly teach maths and chemistry. I love algebra and graphs. Those are my strongest components in maths, they just are satisfying to me but also come very naturally to me as well. I also like teaching certain topics that are a little bit difficult for me as well, because I can learn the subject again and I feel like I fully understand it when I teach it to others. E.g. chemistry, organic chemistry is a very tough topic but once I know my student is able to get their head around it is very satisfying.

• Did you have any role models; teachers that inspired you?

  All of my teachers - because looking back they tried so hard to teach us and make us understand. It made me understand how hard it is to be a teacher and made me respect and wanted to be like them more.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Patience and understanding are the utmost important ones. At times when a student does not understand they need to be listened to and explained in different ways why something is or is not correct. This brings me to my next important trait: variation in teaching. I believe a tutor should have various methods and ways to tutor a student for a student to understand the topic fully.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I was in primary school and my teacher was releasing the marks for one of our important maths exams. While telling us about our grades she said someone got 100%, and everyone was excited as to who it was. For context, I sat at the back of the classroom. She pointed at me but I couldn’t believe it was me and I was a bit stupid so I turned around thinking it was someone behind me and everyone started laughing. It was a funny moment but one I cherished

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  Trying to apply the methods we learned to practice questions was difficult, there were many wordy or long-winded questions that I always found hard to break down. It would take me a long time to figure out what they were asking, but practice was essential to getting me through it.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I do like helping people in general because it is fun and I enjoy seeing my students have the ‘eureka’ moment when they understand something. Not just that, I volunteer a lot so it helps me with that. Teaching helps me be more patient as a person too.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

  I am a Superprof because I teach with passion and not just for the sake of it. I also have abundant knowledge to share about the subjects, I teach to build curiosity and wanting for more knowledge by motivating my pupils.