William

I am an environmental professional and have studied science with an emphasis on biology and ecology at Duke University (bachelor’s degree), Yale University (master’s degree), and I am writing up my dissertation for my PhD at the University of Cambridge. I have a brother twelve years younger than me, and I enjoyed helping him with his homework before I left for university, and that early experience helped me realise how much I enjoy teaching. I have an international background, being both British and American and growing up mainly in Kenya, so I am comfortable working with people of different backgrounds and cultures. I am enthusiastic, approachable, and patient. I have a passion for helping children improve their confidence in school, to inspire a curious mindset, and to meet their individual goals.

My philosophy in teaching is to encourage confidence in a student`s own abilities. Instead of giving answers, I have students go through all of their thinking and their methods in answering questions, and then I have them check their own work. This helps them to deal with problems that may seem unfamiliar to them, and to have the confidence to give considered answers rather than just hopeful guesses.

My approach is to prepare students to break down the question at hand, identify what methods they need to answer the question, to scrutinise and answer the question as best they can, and lastly to check their own answers. This approach ensures that each student has a full understanding of the subject and the methods being used before moving on and building upon their growing knowledge base, and it allows for responsibility in a student’s own learning and growth.

I want students to be at ease and enjoy themselves in our one-on-one interactions, so my lessons are low-pressure, and my students are set ambitious yet realistic goals. By helping students become more self-assured and see their own progress, they can have more confidence in their own abilities and see that they are capable of reaching their own goals.

Availability: I have one availability left for online tutoring on Thursdays from 5pm to 6pm.

Willing to travel: 50 miles

Experience: I have been teaching a number of students (mostly science and mathematics from KS2 to A level) to help them catch up and fill in knowledge gaps __ or even to get ahead in their studies __ during this time of increasing online and independent study. I have experience teaching students up to the post-graduate level (masters’ students at Yale University in the USA), but I also have experience teaching students in primary school, secondary school, and at the undergraduate level. With my educational and professional background, I know how to communicate concepts in a straightforward way and how they can be applied in the real world.