Junior Cert & Leaving Cert Maths Grinds (All levels) - BA Mathematics, First Class Honours

Find out more about Lisa

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  My interest in this field began in school. Maths and Science were always my favourite subjects from early on. I have studied both subjects at school and university level. I completed my undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Maynooth University, and now I am doing Graduate Medicine in UCD. Between my undergrad and my postgrad, I took a year out and worked as a substitute Maths teacher. During my undergraduate degree in Mathematics, I truly fell in love with the subject. I began tutoring other students and I really enjoyed the benefit of 1-1 classes, compared to my experience teaching in a secondary school with classes of 30, where you cannot give each student the attention and support they need.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  In regard to Mathematics which is my primary subject. I love to not only teach the topics as required for the exams, but also give the students a real life understanding of the utility of the maths they are learning. Hopefully providing an answer to that infamous question;"when will I ever use this in real life?". One thing I do not like to discuss much is exam predictions, it is not an exam 'strategy' I support and I will never encourage my students to skip over parts of the course on the off chance it doesn't come up!
  
  I have a very similar philosophy with teaching Science subjects. I don't encourage prediction based studying, I aim to cover as much of the course as I can with students while ensuring we go at a suitable pace for them. I also aim to give students a well rounded and practical understanding of the topics they are learning. As a medical student, the applications of the Sciences is something that is very relevant to my study and I aim to give students an insight into that.

• 3. Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  I am very lucky to have had some very encouraging and inspiring teachers and lecturers throughout my education thus far. Without having had such a positive experience from the offset with my STEM subjects, I am unsure I would have wanted to pursue them to the level I have. I am grateful to my teachers for creating such a positive learning environment and I strive to emulate that learning environment with my own students.

• 4. What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Patience is definitely one of the most important qualities. Students learn in different ways and at different speeds. I believe it's the tutor's job to not only teach the material but to quickly adapt to the students learning requirements. I have taught a range of students from foundation to higher level, including a number of students with learning difficulties like ADHD, dyscalculia and dyslexia so I believe patience and adaptability is definitely a strength for me as a tutor.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  One of my most memorable experiences from Maths was being faced with a very difficult problem and asking my teacher about for a solution. He encouraged us to work collaboratively and challenge each other on the solution. He could have easily given us the answer straight away but instead forced us to not give up and instead to come up with new ways of attempting the question. This is one of the most important parts of the Maths course that I try to teach my students. There is a creative aspect to Maths, when one attempt does not work, don't just give up and say I don't know. The best part of Maths is usually there are a number of ways to get to an answer so it can be a fun process in figuring out the solution that makes the most sense to you as an individual.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I think confidence will always be one of the biggest challenges faced by students especially in Maths. A lot of the time students have more of an idea about a question than they think. Student tend to lack in confidence in their abilities and will say they don't know the answer quicker than they will attempt it just incase they are wrong. The beauty of Maths is that you usually can tell by the end if you have gone wrong so then you have the opportunity to go back and change it, something that cannot be as easily done in humanities subjects. Going wrong in Maths is okay, it is a part of the process, it is often the best way to learn and figure out the correct solution. I aim to encourage students to attempt whatever idea they have for a solution because even if it is wrong, it is definitely better than saying I don't know and there is almost always something to be learned from the incorrect attempt.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I adore Maths as a subject. I love the feeling of being faced with a problem and fighting for the solution. The satisfaction of problem solving is probably part of the reason I have gone down the Medical route. I have gone from an undergraduate degree in Mathematic which was 3 yers of problem solving, to now studying Medicine which is once again all about problem solving. Different disciplines of course but at their core there is that link. I also think it is the reason I much prefer private tutoring to my time working in a secondary school. I not only get to teach students about Maths but I really get to focus on helping them learn to problem solve. The 1-1 time allows you to identify specific issues the student is having and work on them, rather than a more general approach in a classroom setting

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions) ?

  I think one of my biggest strengths is not only do I have a lot of experience as a maths tutor, I am also still a student. I have completed an undergraduate degree, which I tutored throughout. I then took a year to teach Maths full time in a Secondary School and now I have returned to education to complete a postgraduate degree in Medicine. I have worked as a private tutor and then in a Secondary School, after some period of time you start to forget what it is like to be the student. It is a very different feeling being on the students side of the desk compared to the teacher. I think it is easy to forget that information that now seems easy as the teacher was once something we also struggled with. I can strongly relate to that now being on both sides of the desk again since returning to University.