Usman G.

Over the years, my teaching has been tested on various fronts, requiring a unique set of skills. Making the lessons engaging and interactive while linking them to real-life applications is a testament of the deployment of experiential learning, as Mathematics is often defamed by the tag of “dry” & “boring”. Hence, grabbing the listeners' attention is key to a fruitful lesson. I love teaching students who are curious to learn. My lessons are highly interactive, where I give complete freedom to students to ask questions and help them with real-time and step-by-step demonstrations of the concepts. I have worked with students of all types; special-needs students, those with weak concepts which test your patience, the extremely bright ones, and university students. While continuously trying to improve myself, I make sure that my teaching methods try to embody the IB learner profile that bring the best out the candidates. In a nutshell, I would describe my approach to be that of a motivator who would encourage you want to work on Mathematics. Because at the end of the day, one would need to get out of their comfort zone to achieve big.

I would try to develop a connection between the student and myself, which can be done by, first of all, knowing why the student felt the need for this lesson (i.e., pinpointing the weak areas) and then convincing the student that they are at the right place, with the right person.

I would want the student to engage with the resources I would use to teach them. This would empower the student to use those resources independently and ideally.

When everything learned is backed up with exam-style questions that are solvable with the content covered, the student would automatically have a significant confidence boost in how they approach the subject. And what could be more motivating than the dream of getting the desired grade?

I would use the bottom-up approach and make the students start again from the basic level of the concept. Connection with visualization and real-life examples would also make the concepts retainable.

If reading seems troublesome, one can easily use forms of learning that incorporate video and audio. And that is a constructive way of retention too.

I usually begin with a casual discussion with the student about their views on the subject. Overall, getting to know the problems and convincing them they are solvable. Their dream grade is achievable.

I would consider having the approach of a motivator who would encourage one to work on Mathematics. Because at the end of the day, one would need to get out of the comfort zone to achieve big. One method of doing this could be by sharing the Grade Boundaries to let them know the amount of effort needed to achieve a particular grade.

My approach would boil down complex-looking concepts, terms, and theories into simple, everyday language and examples. With this technique ensuring better content retention, it would be followed by attempting exam-style questions. And then the follow-up discussion that would ensure that all is understood.

A student should have no doubt that getting a better grade is undoubtedly achievable. One just has to be guided to work in the right direction with the right amount of effort and dedication. Countless people, or “humans” have done it in the past. A general motivational speech would do the trick here.

By asking, of course, but that can only be done if I know that the student will fully open up with the tutor and let him know precisely what the problems are and the take-away that the student aims to achieve of the lessons. Nevertheless, an ice-breaking session/problem would be enough to know where the student stands and the general areas of concern.

I have worked with students of all types; special-needs students, those with weak concepts which test your patience, the highly bright ones, and university students. While continuously trying to improve myself, I make sure that my teaching methods try to embody the IB learner profile that brings the best out of the candidates. In a nutshell, I would describe my approach to be that of a motivator who would encourage you to want to work on Mathematics. Because at the end of the day, one would need to get out of their comfort zone to achieve big.

I have my laptop with a Graphic Tablet (Wacom) for easy content writing. Resources used include books, videos, and revision websites.