My approach to teaching

Adaptive

Over the years, I’ve worked with people with many different needs and in many different situations. I’m always interested in how people think and learn, so when I start working with someone new, I focus initially on getting to know them: what do they enjoy, how do they think and process, what motivates them, what do they struggle with and why? I try to bear all these things in mind and to figure out how to adapt my approach accordingly, with each person.

I enjoy learning about and drawing on different approaches to learning and teaching, depending on what suits the individual. I am particularly interested in mastery-based learning, visual/spatial approaches and the constructivist approach (which focuses on how learners can connect new understanding to things they already understand, through active experience).

Understanding-focused

I generally emphasise helping people to understand concepts in maths, rather than memorising rules or procedures. Often, this can help people gain confidence in their learning and ability, as they start to be able to make more connections between how different areas of maths work and apply their own reasoning, rather than having to rely on their memory.

Collaborative

I often involve my students in making plans and goals for the sessions. This looks different with different people, but my goal is for the sessions to feel like something that we’re doing and shaping together.

Playful

I genuinely enjoy maths and enjoy sharing that with my students. I use a lot of games, puzzles and other playful activities, especially with my younger students, but with older students sometimes too. I find digging into the playfulness often helps make maths less intimidating. The right game can naturally bring a certain concept to light, without the pressure to immediately grasp it. I also often use games to help students practice and build fluency, without it getting monotonous (e.g. games for times table practice).