The qualities of an excellent science tutor

At London Science Tutors we believe that the most important qualities of an excellent science tutor are communication, knowledge and personality.

 

Communication
An excellent tutor has the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts and ideas to a student in an approachable and understandable way. Combining their depth of knowledge with the individual student’s learning style, they are able to offer appropriate viewpoints and perspectives ensuring that the student is fully comfortable with the topic. Breaking down a topic into it’s key areas, they allow content to be presented in a manageable and accessible format.

This clarity of scientific communication is a vital skill that a student can learn a good tutor. Given the written nature of examinations, students need to ensure that they can telegraph their scientific or mathematical understanding effectively.

The best communicators will be those that fully understand a topic, and know the most important points.

Our tutors are assessed on communication at interview, ensuring that they are able to express ideas clearly, correctly and in an understandable fashion. We only work with tutors that have first rate communication skills.

 

Knowledge
Our tutors are specialists in their fields. This depth of knowledge allows our tutors to be adaptable and flexible; suggesting alternative approaches to a problem and encouraging the “lightbulb” moment in their students.

This flexibility allows a good tutor to tailor their teaching style to cater for different age and ability levels. Students should never feel out of depth or confused, but rather guided and assisted to understanding. Our tutors have a sound familiarity with the syllabus content and are able to balance effective teaching with required practice.

We believe that an excellent tutor does not need to be a qualified teacher. Teaching trains people to deal with multi-ability students in a distracting classroom setting; it does not necessarily teach the most effective way of teaching one-to-one.  An enthusiastic and knowledgeable tutor is able to help their students flourish.

Many of our tutors are researchers immersed in their subject on a daily basis, or recent graduates who have been focused on the subject for a number of years. Their knowledge is fresh and continually assessed. Some school teachers may have gained their qualifications many years ago, as well as teaching within the confines of a narrow syllabus. Given the current shortage of quality science teachers, many science teachers may not be specialists in the subject they teach.

The tutors have experience of regularly applying (or having recently regularly applied) their knowledge to practical laboratory work and looking at scientific topics in great depth. Having this practical experience is key in science and allows tutors to teach from personal experience.

They have also recently been in the same position as students, and are able to empathise with the struggles and best way to approach topics and problems. They have recently had the experience of timetabling revision and learning, as well as preparing for university level requirements.

All of our tutors are academically very talented, having studied at the best scientific institutions in the UK – Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College and UCL.

 

Personality
Tutors must be friendly, approachable and understanding. Students must feel comfortable and confident discussing their academic problems; asking their tutor questions that they may feel too intimidated to ask in the classroom. This scientific engagement with tutors prepares students very well for the collaborative nature of study at university – developing hypothesis and challenging assumptions with confidence. Having an engaged tutor can also be invaluable in shaping the course a student goes on to study at university.

Good tutors talk to their students in a relatable way and are good listeners, determining what a student wants and needs from a lesson, allowing them to modulate content and style. This approachable nature allows tutors to increase the confidence of students.
Our tutors are passionate about their subjects, and really enjoy sharing their knowledge and passing on their enthusiasm. They are also patient and empathetic, remembering themselves how stressful and challenging academic work can be – especially during exam term.

 
We assess our tutors based on the above three metrics prior to joining London Science Tutors. We believe that only those that are great communicators, have a deep knowledge of their subject and a strong personality make excellent science tutors.

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