Thekla

GCSE and A Level Mathematics are my key subjects. I like to go through the necessary theory for each topic before solving exercises from past tests. My goal while teaching is to ensure everyone is on the same page and that no questions go unanswered.

My interest in teaching Mathematics is exemplified by my eagerness to participate in the
‘Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme’ during my BSc studies, through which I was able to teach sixth-form students. The internship took place in January 2022 until March 2022. This teaching experience allowed me to refresh my knowledge of A-Levels and keep up to date with the new syllabus being released. I was able to see how teachers prepare beforehand for the lesson and take notes on how they lead the class so that every single student can follow without any gaps. The teachers assigned me a group of students, for which I was responsible to guide them through some questions allocated by the teacher and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Also, the teachers in different classes provided me with some questions for which I was responsible to present the solutions to the whole class making sure to answer any questions students had at the time. Finally, the ‘Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme’ module - which I took in my BSc studies and allowed me to have this internship in the sixth form - consisted of a project that counted towards my final mark. Within this project I collaborated with the teachers to provide them with some useful material that students can use to revise for their GCSEs and A Levels. Namely, the project I did was a recording which was about revision on exponentials and logarithms.

I have also completed a three-week internship program at a secondary school in London from June 2022 until July 2022, in the role of a teaching assistant, which introduced me to different teaching techniques. Teachers allowed me to teach several lessons to different age groups, ranging from year 7 to sixth form, giving me feedback on my teaching skills and advice on areas I have to improve. I had a timetable where I was a teaching assistant to different teachers, including classes with SEND students. I learned that SEND students require alternative teaching techniques and patience from teachers since they need more time to understand the material taught so that students should not feel pressured and stressed to complete their tasks. During break time I used to ask the students if there were any topics in mathematics that they struggled with, answered any questions they had related to studying Mathematics at university, and observed how the teacher successfully attracted the attention of the students.

Since November 2022, I have been working as an online Mathematics tutor for the subjects GCSE and A Levels mathematics. The age groups that I have taught up to this point are year 10 which cover GCSE mathematics. My module consists of going through the appropriate theory for each of the required topic that needs to be covered i.e. explain what steps are involved to solve a mathematical question related to that topic and explain the logic behind each step, and then proceed to solve questions related to that topic. When I sense that the student does not understand some of the things covered in the lesson, I make sure to explain it as many times as needed to ensure that he/she is confident enough to solve past paper questions by him/herself.