High-achieving VCE graduate with a 96.60 ATAR teaching Maths Methods, Chemistry and General Maths

Learn more about Virren

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

  My interest in Chemistry and Maths solidified through VCE, where I finished with a 96.60 ATAR and top scores across General Maths (47), Methods (46), and Chemistry (41). Once I'd been through that process myself, tutoring felt like a natural next step — I wanted to help other students get through the same concepts without the trial and error I went through. That was over two years ago, and I've since worked through 50+ sessions.

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

  I enjoy the problem-solving side of Methods — calculus and functions especially, where there's a clear logical path once you see the structure. In Chemistry, I like equilibrium and reaction kinetics because they connect theory to real, tangible behaviour. What I enjoy less is the pure memorisation-heavy content (naming conventions, some periodic trends) — it's necessary, but it's less interesting to teach than the conceptual stuff.

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

  I had a few teachers through VCE who taught with real patience — willing to re-explain a concept three different ways until it landed, rather than just repeating themselves louder. That approach stuck with me and shaped how I tutor now: adapting the explanation to the student, not repeating the same method and hoping it works the second time.

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

  Patience, adaptability, and the ability to diagnose why a student is stuck rather than just re-explaining the same content. Building genuine rapport matters too — students ask more questions and engage more when they're comfortable, which speeds up learning. And time management, so sessions stay focused and consistent rather than drifting.

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

  One of the more rewarding moments was working with a student who was consistently getting mid-range marks in Maths Methods and lacked confidence going into exams. Breaking their weak areas down into smaller, manageable pieces — rather than just doing more practice papers — helped them see steady improvement, and by the end of the year they were tackling exam-style questions with real confidence. It reinforced for me that most "I'm just not good at this subject" moments are actually gaps in a specific skill, not a lack of ability overall.

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

  Organic chemistry mechanisms took real time to properly internalise during VCE — it's one of those topics where surface-level memorising doesn't get you far, you actually need to understand the underlying logic. Now, on the tutoring side, the main challenge is adjusting explanations on the fly for different learning styles — what clicks instantly for one student can completely miss for another.

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

  It's a mix, but if I had to pick — it's the teaching itself. I like the subjects, but what keeps me coming back to tutoring is seeing a student go from confused to confident on something that felt impossible a few weeks earlier.

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

  Consistent top-band VCE results across three subjects rather than just one, 2+ years and 50+ sessions of real tutoring experience, and I'm currently studying Commerce at the University of Melbourne — so I understand what it takes to keep performing academically well past VCE, not just how to get through the exam.