STEM tutoring: Maths, physics, general sciences. Mech Engineering graduate from the University of Exeter (first class Hons).

I have been tutoring Roxene’s son for several months in GCSE physics (I shall not disclose this student’s name for client confidentiality).

KS4 is a challenging time when students have many subjects to focus on; however, I am confident this student will do well. He understands concepts faster and in greater depth than the average student. He is also mathematically skilled for his age group and performs calculations that exceed my expectations. He is highly ambitious, and I commonly ask him challenging questions which push the upper bounds of the GCSE scope, which he generally answers well.

Although this student is on track to achieve a high grade, there is always room for improvement. He has expressed an interest in pursuing a medical career; therefore, going above and beyond in the sciences will immensely benefit him. For this student, the improvement focus should be answering worded ‘explain’ questions. As mentioned, comprehension and mathematical skills are already sufficiently developed, meaning most calculation questions are tackled effectively. To progress further, this student should aim to advance his verbal reasoning skills in ‘explain’ questions. Cultivating a scientific mindset will help with this. This mindset will develop as this student progresses in scientific subjects. Therefore, he should continue revising topics to build his understanding and improve his verbal reasoning skills. He should continue reviewing textbook notes and revision guides to gain a deeper understanding of the material and answer past paper questions to develop his exam technique further.

Developing a scientific mindset can be further accelerated outside the classroom by immersing oneself in the scientific sphere. This can be done by consuming science-related media like films, books, and podcasts. Hopefully, this will increase the student’s interest in science and give the subject context outside the syllabus.

Some suggestions for engaging scientific-related media:
- Watch physics-based films such as Interstellar, The Martian, etc.
- Listen science-based podcasts, for example, the Andrew Huberman podcast: an immensely informative and interesting podcast based on science and science-based tools for everyday life.
- Watch science-based documentaries – for example: Brian Cox or Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Engaging with scientific media alongside his studies will develop that scientific mindset which will help him answer ‘explain’ questions. Regarding the interpersonal dynamic, I thoroughly enjoy my sessions with this student and will be more than happy to support him as he progresses towards his exams.
Communication with Roxene has been straightforward and payments are always made in good time.

Keep up the hard work and focus – you’re doing great!

Best regards,

Reuben.

I have been tutoring Lakmini's daughter for several months in A-level physics (I shall not disclose this student's name for client confidentiality). This student is approaching her final exams. She is a gifted student with promising potential. However, A-level physics is a demanding qualification, challenging students on multiple frontiers, namely:
1. Comprehension of physics principles.
2. Mathematical ability
3. Applying and explaining physics principles in lengthy worded questions.

This student excels tremendously in both comprehension capabilities and mathematical ability. The student's primary improvement area has been explaining and applying fundamental physics concepts in explanation questions. This student was relatively shy when we started these sessions, and wordy explanation questions seemed quite challenging for her. However, having practised many questions in our sessions, she has become more confident when answering verbal explanation questions.

I believe part of the issue was confidence. Adopting a growth mindset may further help with this, which involves realising that if I cannot explain a concept and another student can, this student can simply do so because they have practised more than I. Students who are good at explanation questions are generally good because they have practised. Perhaps they have developed the skills for explaining things due to being more extroverted, for example. Don't be afraid of simply having a go and saying what you think in an answer because by practising explanations you will improve tremendously. If you are wrong, celebrate this as an opportunity for learning. We don't learn by getting 100% on a test. We learn through mistakes and improving on those mistakes.
How can we accelerate improvement in answering these tricky explanation questions? There are a couple of things I think this student must do:
1. Spend time understanding the concepts on your own, and get familiar with the textbook. Every time you read a chapter on a topic, your understanding of that topic will increase. Over time, you will gain a more profound understanding, enabling you to answer those explanation questions more easily.
2. Continue to practice explanation questions in our sessions and also out of sessions. For example:
- At sixth form, when the teacher asks a question in class, be brave enough to put your hand up and have a go at answering the question.
- Or when a buddy asks you a question, put in the effort to try and explain the concept. Teaching and explaining to others will help you articulate your ideas, cementing your knowledge and deepening your understanding.
- Find a friend in class with whom you are comfortable - spend an hour per week going over concepts and discussing things together. Maybe do some questions together and discuss the answers.

This student is engaged and listens intently during our sessions. I do not doubt that if she works hard to understand concepts and continues to practice her explanations, she will do immensely well in her upcoming exams.

Communication with Lakmini has been clear and straightforward. If something gets in the way and a session must be cancelled, he will notify me in advance of the session. Payments have been made consistently on time for each session; I greatly appreciate this.

I enjoy tutoring this student and will be happy to continue supporting her should she wish to continue sessions into the future.

Keep up the hard work – you’re doing great!

Reuben.

I have been tutoring Piravin for several months . He is focused, hard working and dedicated. The transition from KS4-KS5 is a challenging time and although Piravin reports struggling in class tests, I cannot fault him on his hard work. I have no doubt that if he keeps up the focused and directed effort, he will overcome current challenges and do exceptionally well in his A-level exams.

Communication with the family has been easy and clear. Payments are generally made on time prior to session commencement. Piravin is generally on time to sessions and focuses intently throughout the entire duration. I will be glad to continue tutoring with Piravin should he wish to continue sessions up until his final exams.

Keep up the good work!
Reuben