Bio

I am a trained, experienced IBDP Chemistry Teacher who has taught and guided students worldwide. I strongly believe that to engage students in the subject that I love, it is my duty to provide stimuli, encouragement, and guidance so that they can develop skills to fulfill their potential.

Teaching Experience

British School Jakarta, Indonesia (2015-2020)
Teacher of IBDP Chemistry – guided students through the course, ensuring that they had a solid grasp of all concepts and the interconnections between topics. Taught students how to approach and solve problems. Developed a practical program to ensure that students developed experimental skills and conducted all of the prescribed practicals. Helped students to refine their exam technique so that their responses on all three papers reflected their understanding enabling access to higher grades. Assisted students in finding IA topics, developing research questions, designing experimental methods, and writing up investigations to achieve high grades in the component.
EE Supervisor – Assisted students in developing a research question in their area of interest, obtaining research from reliable sources, gathering and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and evaluating the research carried out critically.
IBDP Theory Of Knowledge, IGCSE Chemistry, KS3 Science.

CTC Kingshurst Academy, UK – (2013-2014)
Teacher of IBDP Chemistry and EE supervisor, GCSE Triple Award Chemistry, Biology, Physics, KS3 Science.

Weald of Kent Grammar School, UK – (2012-2013)
Teacher of AS/ A2 Chemistry, GCSE Triple Award Chemistry, GCSE Double Award Chemistry and Physics, and KS3 Science.

Dulwich College Cranbrook, UK (2010-2012)
Teacher of Science

St. Catherine’s British Embassy School, Greece – (2007-2010)
Teacher of IBDP Chemistry and EE supervisor, IGCSE Biology, Chemistry, Physics, KS3 Science.

CTC Kingshurst Academy, UK- (2004-2007)
Teacher of IBDP Chemistry and EE supervisor, GNVQ Science, and KS3 Science.

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that everyone can realize and achieve their potential if guided to develop a solid foundation of knowledge, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

Ask a student to describe their feelings about the subject and their progress. Identify and share key areas to work on to improve the student’s overall performance in the subject.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Reviewing content and practicing problems at regular intervals. Focus on areas of weakness. Develop problem-solving skills so that they can apply their knowledge confidently.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By building a student’s confidence in the subject. Ensuring that they have a solid grasp of concepts. Providing material that has accessible problems that gradually increase in complexity.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

Find a different way to explain or illustrate the skill or concept.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

Highlight the text’s key components and guide the student to summarise the information in an easier format to solve the problem then.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

Listening carefully to students and understanding their needs is essential to be able to tailor the tutoring session.
Use of videos and simulations to support explanations of concepts.
Breaking problems down and illustrating step by step how to tackle a problem through a worked example.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling with?

Share my enthusiasm for the subject and relate it to everyday life to make the concept real. Break down the concept to ensure that it is understood. Provide appropriate material so that the student can build their confidence applying their knowledge.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

Ask the student to summarise the material and then solve and explain a problem using the material.

How do you build a student’s confidence in a subject?

Ensure that the student has a good understanding of concepts, can break down problems, and knows how to tackle the problem step by step.

How do you evaluate a student’s needs?

I ask questions, listen carefully, and tailor the material used to meet the student’s needs.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student’s needs?

I listen carefully to my students to identify misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge. I then tailor the content, explanations, worked examples, and materials to ensure that the student leaves the tutoring session secure with the concepts and can tackle questions confidently. I pace the tutoring based on the responses I receive from the student.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

I share my screen and use an iPad with an Apple pencil to explain concepts and work through examples step by step. Where appropriate, I show videos and simulations to help students to visualize concepts.

Teaching Skills