How My A Level Maths Tuition Works
My Role As A Maths Tutor
Firstly, it is important to spell out what an A-Level Maths tutor actually does (or, in my opinion, what they SHOULD do). A good, experienced A-Level Maths tutor has many roles and should be able to jump between them depending on the needs of the student at the time (which can change at short notice or over time). A top-quality A-Level Maths tutor should be:
1 - A Subject Expert
Over the course of my career, I have heard many stories from my students who had previously taken on tutors who were very good and accomplished mathematicians (university lecturers or PhD students, for example) but who didn’t have an in-depth knowledge of the A Level syllabuses which they tutored. Knowing the syllabuses inside-out – their idiosyncrasies, how the marking guidance has developed over the years, the differences between syllabuses – is key and fundamental knowledge for an A Level Maths and Further Maths tutor to be effective. An effective maths tutor should be adding value by giving students sound, expert guidance on how to improve both subject knowledge and technique ultimately leading to a boost in exam performance. A tutoring session should not simply consist of the tutor and student muddling through questions together session hoping that an improvement will be seen.
2 - A Qualified Teacher
A tutor may have all the above attributes but, to be effective, an A Level Maths tutor must also be skilled in being able to impart this knowledge upon their students. An effective A Level Maths and Further Maths tutor should have experience in both teaching and delivery in order to be able to engage and deliver content in a way that you understand. A well-practised classroom teacher of A Level Maths and Further Maths will be able to recall at a moment’s notice all of the content required and be able to instantly help students with any problems they may be facing.
3 - A Mentor
it is important that you choose an A Level maths tutor who can help motivate and drive you to success; a tutor who can get to know not just your mathematical strengths and weaknesses, but actually get to know you as a person and truly understand what makes you tick. Such a tutor will be better at helping you do what needs to be done to achieve your full potential in A Level Maths.
My Approach As An A Level Maths Tutor
I often get asked by parents and students “what is your approach to tutoring?” This is a very difficult question to answer because it depends entirely on the individual needs and characteristics of the student. For this reason, so you can get a better idea of how my tuition works, I have put together a few different scenarios to best get across what my approach would be.
Student Profile #1: Lacks confidence in own ability and doesn't like to ask for help
Laura (a hypothetical student) lets things get on top of her; she feels she understands most things to an extent in class but when it comes to things she doesn’t understand, she rarely asks the teacher. The thought of asking about something she doesn’t understand while everyone is watching sends shivers down her spine. And there are many more students like Laura; it is extremely common for A Level Maths students feel like this. They shouldn’t; we as teachers are here to help. However, the fact remains that some students don’t like to ask questions in class. And as a result they end up slowly falling behind.
My Approach as a Tutor
In my experience, these traits very common. So common, in fact, that I have written an article on how an A Level maths tutor can help students who have fallen behind. In this situation, the key to getting a student back on track is to thoroughly assess at the earliest opportunity. But the word” assess” can induce a lot of anxiety. The first thought that comes to mind is the idea of having to do a paper in timed conditions, a situation that would leave a student who is struggling feeling useless and exposed. But it need not be that way; assessment can be gentler. Assessment can be performed concurrently with teaching.
Over the years, I have found that assessment for the purpose of determining gaps in knowledge is better done during lessons using past paper questions; the approach involves concurrently discovering gaps in knowledge and supporting the student in filling those gaps. I have found this to be far more effective in the initial stages than simply setting a student off with a past paper and constantly reminding them their knowledge has gaps. The latter would be demoralising and serve no real purpose.
Once these initial gaps in knowledge are filled, I have found it particularly productive to then try to teach students slightly ahead of their class teaching schedule, getting them, say, one week ahead of what they will be learning in class so that they have the ground knowledge and confidence to ask (and answer!) questions in class.
Student Profile #2: Did well in GCSEs but doesn't work hard enough at A-Level
Simon (again, hypothetical) is a student who performed brilliantly in his GCSEs. An all round top grade student. However, a couple of terms into A Level Maths his grades from school seem to be slipping. Simon says that it is just a blip and that he feels he is doing well, but as a parent you are not so sure. This is yet another common scenario. Many students who have a natural ability up to about the GCSE level often find that as soon as a bit of extra work is required outside of lessons, things start to fall apart.
My Approach as a Tutor
This is yet another very common scenario, with these traits most commonly being found in boys who achieved highly at GCSE. Early intervention is the key to restoring confidence and instilling a strong work ethic that will carry them successfully through A Level. With this type of student it is imperative that the gaps in knowledge are diagnosed and that a programme of work is drawn up early on to help the student. But generating a (potentially long) list of knowledge gaps is not enough.
On its own, to simply tell a student that they are behind and can be overwhelming and demotivating. The best approach is to drip feed the students the gaps in knowledge and simultaneously plug the gaps so as not to knock the student’s confidence.
Once the gaps are filled and the student is back on track, a slightly different approach is then needed. As an experienced A Level Maths tutor, at this point I would ensure that the student actually starts to get ahead of the game, teaching them the content that they are about to study in class to give them a head start will put them in a position in which they ooze confidence, but by this stage the confidence is justified.
Student Profile #3: Naturally high-achieving but suffers from test and exam anxiety
Sarah is terrified of examinations; the pressure of controlled testing always gets to her and she quite often underperforms as a result. Ordinarily, Sarah is a top student: she ask questions; she does the homework; she takes detailed notes and spends time rewriting them out neatly; she makes beautiful concise revision cards to summarise her studies. But it is with these final two points where the problem lies. Such students spend a lot of time doing many many things other than the thing they find most difficult: exam questions.
My Approach as a Tutor
In my time as a classroom teacher and tutor of A Level Maths and Further Maths, I find that a gentle approach to try to wean students off spending their time producing (admittedly beautiful but not so useful) archives of lesson notes and revision cards. With A Level Maths and Further Maths, any classroom teacher or private tutor will tell you that to do well, the key is to practise practise practise exam questions. To change the working habits of a hardworking and diligent high achiever could be seen as a battle, but it is important not to approach it this way. I have found that the confidence of such high achieving students is easily shattered and to tell them that they have been doing everything wrong up to this point would be a mistake.
My approach in this situation would be to have the student to discover for themselves that there is a better way of working by gently nudging them in the right direction.
Student Profile #4: Didn't do well enough in Year 1 to progress to Year 2
Dan (hypothetical again) struggled throughout his first year and never really seemed to get to grips with the jump between GCSE and A Level. A few weeks before the end of year tests Dan realised the mess he was in and worked harder than he’d ever worked before. But it was too late and it was not enough. He has been told that he didn’t get enough marks on his end of year test to progress to the second year, so if he wants to continue with maths he has no option but to repeat the year.
My Approach as a Tutor
With students in this scenario it is important that a tutor gets in there straight away before the student loses hope. Clearly the student’s confidence is bruised, but a good A Level Maths tutor will know that this situation can be turned round and made into a positive. In this situation, as a tutor I would capitalise on the improved work ethic that Dan exhibited towards the exam period and help him use this to his advantage. Dan has spent all of the last year feeling like he is bottom of the class but he will still have taken in a lot of the mathematics that was taught to him even if it is not currently fluent or instantly recallable, but there will be an underlying base knowledge. And provided a tutor works with Dan to keep him slightly ahead of the schedule of what he is going to be taught in class, he can go from like he felt last year (bottom of the class and behind) to feeling on top of the material and able to hold his own, achieving well in homework and class tests.
Student Profile #5: Studying Further Maths and struggling to keep up with the pace
Nathaniel (hypothetical again in case you hadn’t already guessed!) was a high achiever at GCSE but has found the pace of further maths is very fast. He says that the teacher moves on too quickly and only “the brainboxes” in the class are able to keep up. The teacher says that Further Maths students should be able to keep up with this pace. Nathaniel is getting more demoralised by the week and is considering dropping A-Level Further Maths.
My Approach As A Tutor
The worst thing that Nathaniel can do at this stage is to give up! In my experience of tutoring Further Maths, this is one of the most common scenarios that talented and capable students face – self-doubt in the face of lack of support.
In such situations it is important as a tutor to find a balance between filling historic gaps in knowledge that form prerequisites for future content, and also helping a student keep up with the current content they are learning in class. The key is to build gradually and show students that they CAN actually do it if given the right support and sufficient time to digest the content.
How Online Tuition Works
It is only natural that parents and students may have some scepticism about the effectiveness of online tuition.
- Students can feel more comfortable by doing a lesson in their own environment, such as a bedroom or a study.
- You can have access to the best tutors as there are no longer any geographical constraints.
- Using the latest online whiteboard software, the tutor and student can see exactly what the other is writing without any awkard having to look over each other's shoulder.
You may by this point still have reservations about the effectiveness of online tuition so to ease these anxieties and give you a full picture of how online tuition works, I have written an article on this very topic entitled “Online vs In-Person A Level Maths Tuition”.
And that’s everything! As long as you have access to both of the above then online tuition is as interactive, personal and effective as in-person tuition, as you can see from the video below.
What Equipment Is Needed For Online A Level Maths Tuition?
In order for online tuition to be effective, it needs to be truly interactive. Below is the basic equipment needed to ensure that you get the most out of online tuition.
A strong and stable interet connection
This is essential to ensure that the lesson runs smoothly without interruptions.
A tablet (e.g. iPad with Apple Pencil or touchscreen PC with a stylus)
This will be used in conjunction with live online whiteboard software to provide an interactive lesson. I will be able to see what you are writing and you will be able to see what I am writing in real-time allowing me to demonstrate, give explanations and feed back to you as you work. The ideal equipment to have is an iPad with an Apple pencil or a touchscreen windows laptop (such as a Microsoft Surface) with a stylus. A cheaper option that would still allow truly interactive online lessons to occur would be a Wacom graphics tablet.