Individual help – When and where
Students will always need individual help from time to time: they have met a problem
which they can't solve, they have an exam coming up and need help in preparing for
it, or, the worst of all, they are losing motivation. Whatever the problem, a phone
call will book a time on the weekend for individual attention.
I don't wish to see students every weekend - they have other subjects and commitments.
But, left untreated, a problem will grow and grow. Far better to fix it now!
A wise man probably once said: "If your TV went on the blink, you'd have a repairman
around to fix it at once." Treat a problem in Mathematics the same way.
Where are Individual tutorials held?
I hold them at my home at 14 Kooloona Crescent,
West Pymble. It's off Yanko Road.
Who is the tutor?
I am. If I have more students requiring tuition than I can handle, I employ other
teachers. I only hire Senior Teachers of Heads of Department, teacher with the experience,
qualifications and proven success, who are currently working in schools.
Diagnosis of Students' Problems
Students are often unaware of the cause of their problems. A problem in Year 11
may be caused by a missed day in Year 7 or something else. Diagnosing the causes
of a problem may be the first step in fixing it. It's possible to diagnose a problem
in a class, but it is much better in a one-on-one tutorial!
Hence a student may come on the weekend to fix Problem X and go home with Problem
X fixed, but with remedial work on Topic Y, which was the cause of Problem X.
When needed, I write remedial exercises, revision exercises or extension exercises
for students. This is in addition to the class notes which always include extra
worksheets and examinations.
Examination Post Mortem
Students sit for exams at school. When the paper is returned, they should always
go over their mistakes in the class at school. I ask students to give me a copy
of their school exam and I will write a similar exam for them.
If they have fixed their mistakes in the school exam, they should be able to get
full marks on the exam I set for them. It's an excellent way for them to self-diagnose!
And it's an excellent way for them to check their understanding!
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