How I teach

I believe my way of teaching maths is quite different to how most maths tutors teach and is completely different to how maths is traditionally taught in the classroom. 

You're probably looking for a maths tutor because something isn't working for your child in the classroom.

For a while I was replicating exactly what I used to do in the classroom, in my tuition. 

It was generally successful because I had only one student (rather than 30) and I can explain maths concepts really well. 

That student receiving one-to-one tuition could ask any question they wanted to and generally that student would make great progress.

But...

What about the students who still made little progress? 

Those who couldn't remember what we did last month - or last week? 

Were they incapable of learning?

No.

I just wasn't teaching them the skills they needed to learn. 

Not just maths. 

The skills to learn anything.

So I went away and learnt about teaching methods and strategies that would help those students. 

What I learnt now helps all of my students as I completely changed my teaching style and ethos.

The three main aspects that I have added to my teaching style:

1. Executive Functioning Skills

Executive Functioning Skills are a set of cognitive processes that are responsible for controlling our emotions and behaviour. 

It refers to the ability to plan, organize, initiate, and manage complex tasks, and includes skills such as working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control.

Quite simply it is the skillset that would make someone a great employee and is quite often the skillset that children and young adults lack.

In my teaching I try to help my students develop these skills because the ability to master this is a key indicator to not only success in maths but in all subjects.

Read more about executive functioning skills and how I try to develop these skills in my students as part of our maths lessons.

2. Interleaving

Interleaving is a teaching style I consistently use. Multiple topics and concepts are mixed together in the same lesson, rather than focusing on just one topic per lesson. 

Interleaving can be a really powerful way of teaching maths and is particularly useful as a way of practising and revising mathematical topics that a student has already been taught. 

Read More about interleaving and why this is now the only way I teach.

3. Spaced Repetition

Spaced Reptition is a scientifically proven learning strategy that involves reviewing and revisiting information at specific intervals over time. 

It capitalises on the brain's tendency to forget information gradually if not reinforced. 

By strategically spacing out questions on topics and concepts that I have already covered with a student I can begin to help students retain their mathematical knowledge in their long term memory.

Read more about spaced repetition and how I use it in every lesson to help my students retain the maths skills I teach them and why it is so powerful in learning maths.