About Me
Hi, I'm Paul!
I am a fully qualified Maths teacher - with experience in many different types of teaching establishments.
I hold a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics, qualified teacher status and an enhanced DBS certificate.
Scroll down to learn more about my experience and my teaching philosophy.
My Experience
I have taught in a Secondary School in Bedfordshire, an International School where I was Head of Year (see left), a college in Hertfordshire and a Secondary School in London where I led Maths Intervention whilst also teaching classes.
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I have also worked as a Learning Support Assistant. Working with students with physical and mental challenges to learning.
My Teaching Philosopy
Many students experience anxiety when studying Mathematics and this creates feelings of tension and apprehension that has a negative effect on performance. For some, this can cause them to go into panic mode where their mind goes completely blank and they are unable to process thoughts or recall even basic information. This continues into adult life and nearly a third of UK adults struggle with everyday maths. There are many causes of maths anxiety including previous bad experience, fear of embarrassment and time pressure to name but a few. This then becomes a vicious circle in which more struggles lead to more anxiety.
Students with and without maths anxiety are confident when answering straight forward questions but are often not able to answer multi-step problem solving questions. To combat this I ensure that I explain concepts and methods in a simple and clear way using real world examples that students can relate to. We do not move on until the initial understanding is cemented. Students are then introduced to worded and problem solving questions (applicable to their level). A common problem for a lot of students is that they tend to read the whole question in one go taking in too much information, panic and then go blank and not be able to answer anything. I teach students how to break down questions, draw out key information and ignore anything that is not relevant and then apply this to the question.
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A major focus of my lessons is algebra and in particular when you are given the solution to a problem and have to work backwards to find the input. This goes hand-in-hand with teaching to problem solve and is the most important skill a student needs if they are to achieve a high grade or even pass their Maths GCSE. This very important skill is key to problem solving as it is used in solving equations, rearranging equations and changing the subject of formulae.
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Through my lessons I build students confidence and resilience when tackling difficult questions. I encourage students to have a 'Growth Mindset', to be stubborn and not give up when faced with challenges. An attitude to be be applied to all subjects and life in general.
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Maths will make you feel like a genius when you get an answer correct, but zap your confidence and motivation when you do not understand. Let me help your child feel like a genius!
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Contact me now for a free 30 minute trial lesson!