What I offer

My Aim​

My focus in tutoring is in teaching mathematics and the sciences with an aim to develop university or college level skills. 

For mathematics, this includes all relevant fields (algebra, geometry, data skills, functions, calculus, vectors, etc) for university or college courses.

For the physical sciences, this includes all the relevant fields (chemistry, physics) for university and college courses.

For the life/biological sciences, this is focused at present only on the course curricula as stipulated for South African IEB and CAPS syllabi. I do provide tutoring using the Ontario Biology curricula, but in a less-experienced capacity.

No nonsense tutoring - the "Old School" style 

Fact Number 1: No Shortcuts

There is no miracle shortcut to learning math or science.  Nothing substitutes for graduated learning with a good teacher.

Contrary to internet claims of learning grade 12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) topics in 3 weeks, math and science skills learning is cumulative – one skill must be mastered before the next.

The classical analogy of a building being only as strong as its foundations is, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, true.

Fact Number 2: Good Teaching is Dynamic

People’s abilities to pick up STEM skills vary:

  1. There will always be students who pick up skills quickly.
  2. There will always be those who have to work at it.
  3. And there will always be those who, when compared to the aforementioned students, “struggle”.


Happily, I offer tutoring and coaching tailored to the student, but I must say that I love to work with the struggling student.  When a struggling student finally understands, my day is made.

Doing ok but want better grades?

The student who picks up skills with average speed is assessed for goals: remarkably the question of why they want or feel they need an A or a B or a C in math/science is often not addressed. When the student’s goal is discussed with parents and a suitable path forward is decided upon, tutoring can proceed, but CRUCIALLY with appropriate COACHING to keep motivation for consistent effort and homework completion.

Doing well but want to ace it?

Again the student’s goal is immediately assessed and, with consultation with parents, an appropriate schedule of ENRICHED tutoring with COACHING is embarked upon.

 

Struggling?

The struggling student is assessed to see what skills may be missing or weak from previous grades. Thereafter, a program is embarked on at his/her capability. The possibility of being neuro-atypically mathematically challenged (having dyscalculia – the mathematical version of language dyslexia) may be explored in students that continue to struggle with skill development.

But the good news is that dyscalculia is much rarer than commonly thought – only 1 in 20 people have a serious “math problem”.

Much more common is poor teaching, poor teaching environments, poor motivation, and lack of positive reinforcements for accomplishments!

In fact there are innumerable cases where students who were “struggling” ended up acing courses! All they needed was the right teacher and the courage to go back to basics!

And that’s where I’d like to step in and make the difference:
there are sooo many people out there who just needed a little bit more time to reinforce background skills to learn the more difficult skills.

Nevertheless, take note!

ALL students are going to have to come to terms with internalizing one thing:

They are going to have to slug out the hard work with an old-fashioned pencil, eraser, graph paper, ruler, and scientific hand-calculator (laptop/smartphone calculator won’t do!)! But with this work they will soon see the fruits: great marks!

My tutoring is INTERACTIVE

Much online tutoring suffers from what I call the Drool Factor: “tutors” talk on and on and on until their voice turns into a hypnotic, monotone soporific that induces a mental vegetative/semi-coma state in most young people…sometimes they even fall asleep! (and yes, they may even drool on the desk!)

I NEVER TALK FOR LONGER THAN 8 MINUTES WITHOUT MAKING SURE MY TUTOREE IS ACTIVELY LISTENING. AND 8 MINUTES IS UNUSUAL FOR ME.

I normally only talk for 3 to 5! After that the work starts using my  combination of Zoom with WhatsApp/Telegram for, effectively, a face-to-face tutoring.

Zoom is for audio-visual communication

I use Zoom’s screen share function to effectively turn the student’s laptop/tablet into a blackboard as well as a classroom projector screen for whatever diagrams and pictures and graphs etc that I need to share in my short 3-5 min teaching sessions.

It is best that this tablet has WhatsApp/Telegram as well. This is how I share my Zoom links that can be clicked to easily engage the Zoom app on your laptop/tablet.

WhatsApp/Telegram is for immediate feedback and communication between myself and the student on problems done

Please note: all communication between myself and your child is done only on a WhatsApp/Telegram group that has the parent(s)/guardian(s) on it as well. This makes all communication between myself and your child completely transparent. I do not respond to private messaging from children -ALL communication from them must be on the group.

My combining of WhatsApp/Telegram with Zoom’s screen share means I can actually show them MY WhatsApp/Telegram screen on their laptop/tablet screen. This means that pics your child sends can be corrected “in front of them” with me using WhatsApp/Telegram’s pic editing function on the pics your child sends.

I engage a student in practical problems that replicate what they’ll see on an exam. They must do the problem with pencil, eraser, notebook, calculator, and ruler. Thereafter they immediately take a pic of the problem attempt and share it. I check out the answer and give the necessary feedback while they look on as I correct or congratulate or otherwise engage their feedback to help them learn.

Equipment

You will need:

  1. A good internet connection (unlimited data, minimum up- and down-load 5 MBPS)
  2. A Zoom-enabled laptop or large-screen tablet
  3. A smartphone/iPhone (for pics of your work!)
  4. PENCIL (not a pen), eraser, ruler, GRAPH-paper workbook
  5. A SCIENTIFIC pocket calculator (a laptop or smartphone calculator will NOT do)
  6. If possible, a physical copy of the textbook used


The bottom line on using graphing technology and chatgpt etc to learn and solve problems: Don’t fool yourself into thinking you understand when in fact you only know how to press buttons and occasionally get the right answer without understanding why it’s right!

Because of this, I do not allow use of graphing programs, chatgpt etc until the hard work to develop the crucial skills to understand the underlying math/science that can read the technological output of this technology correctly is there.

Student studying

Technological Engagement and Practical Laboratory demonstration and enrichment

Technological/Laboratory engagement and enrichment is left to the nature of the course and school chosen that I am assisting the student to learn/understand and I mainly discuss in that context.

It is important to understand that that I am a TUTOR not a TEACHER. As my role is a supportive one in nature, technology/lab enrichment is only in the context of the chosen schooling program/syllabus chosen by the parents or student. 

Nevertheless, practical enrichment is done primarily with online video demonstrations.

Coaching Values​

Here are two of my most important coaching values:

1.  “Education” these days is so keen on delivering skill-sets that “give-a-person-a-fish” is favoured over “teach-a-person-how-to-fish”!

Here is where I do something else for the motivated student: I offer coaching on HOW TO STUDY. If these methods are acted upon, I have done what is supremely unwise in the short-term: I have made my tutoree not need me as much anymore! (Possibly to the extent of not needing me at all!). This may seem “bad for business” for someone making a living with tutoring in the STEM fields but it is the best path for the student.

2.  “Education” should always be value-based and not about money or position: my tutoring is done with constant reminders to re-align intentions to use all skills learned to grow individually and to benefit our families, communities and mankind as a whole. 

You can be your own Guiding star with the right help

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“Education” these days is so keen on delivering skill-sets that “give-a-person-a-fish” is favoured over “teach-a-person-how-to-fish”!
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