Experienced and dedicated A-level maths/further maths expert with a passion for teaching 

Find out more about Kate

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

  Maths was always by favourite subject at school, and once I began studying it at university level, I became interested in offering private tuition and sharing my knowledge with others

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

  With maths, it's all about practice, so I spend the lessons going through examples and questions. I focus on exam questions right from the beginning, and compile specific questions for each topic so that the student can get practice in the exam style format.
  
  I love physics, and much of that comes from my favourite topic in maths, which is calculus; so all things differentiation and integration. It is the mathematics of movement and change, so of course as a dancer I connect to concepts!
  
  I find statistics the most challenging; I really have to make myself get through these areas of the course. I do think it makes me a good tutor for this topic, as I've had to find strategies to make sure I understand it myself.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  My secondary school teacher, Mr Burris, was a role model when it comes to tutoring. He was so calm and patient, and yet had such an infectious passion for the subjects he taught. He was very understanding of how life can sometimes get in the way of study, and yet still encouraged discipline and hard work in his classes.

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

  I think many of the qualities that I mentioned in my role model; patience is important, and a passion for the topic you teach. I also believe flexibility is vital for a good tutor; to be able to meet each student where they are at and adapt each lesson accordingly. Every student is different, and each individual student's needs can vary from week to week or topic to topic, so it's important that a tutor can adjust the lesson in the moment to ensure it is always a valuable learning experience.

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

  For my final school exams I was feeling overwhelmed, and in particular I was finding Chemistry challenging. I went to a private tutor and on the first lesson she said; "Titrations come up every single year, in the first question. Four parts to the question, 12 titrations to learn, and that's 30% of the exam". I was so bogged down with all the study, trying to comprehend every detail of the subject, that I hadn't thought to look at the pattern of the exam! I left that first lesson not only much better prepared for the exam, but also more confident in my ability to answer the questions. Sometimes all you need is someone to point you in the right direction.

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

  As someone whose studied maths through distant learning, the most challenging element was the feeling of not having support. I would have various questions, or be struggling to follow an example, but I was never sure where to go for support. Looking back, I should have been braver with going to my lecturers and tutors with my questions, no matter how small or insignificant they seemed. There's no such thing as a stupid question!

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

  I have two passions; dance and theoretical physics! I have been a dancer my whole life, working as both a performer and choreographer with ballet and contemporary dance. I have worked on both big productions and small ones, and find the biggest reward in dance is facilitating perfromances in community settings.
  
  I have also always been fascinated in theoretical physics, in the fundamental questions of what is space, time and matter? I studied my MSc in Theoretical Physics in 2021, where I studied, amongst other topics, quantum field theory and string theory. String theory I found particularly engaging, looking at how maths can offer answers, however in a theory which can never be experimentally tested. I left the MSc with more questions than answers!

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

  My varied interests in life, my flexible teaching approach, and my knowledge and passion of maths, all make me a Superprof 🙂