98.95 ATAR Medical Student Tutoring Mathematics and Chemistry Between Years 7-12 in Adelaide

Find out more about Jacob

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

  I developed an interest in mathematics and science very early on in my primary schooling. My passion continued throughout middle and senior school, and culminated in me studying Mathematical Methods, Chemistry, and university-level Human Anatomy and Physiology IA & IB in Year 12. Regarding tutoring itself, in Year 12, I would volunteer to assist classmates that were struggling to understand certain concepts or topics in my maths class. When our teacher was away, I would lead the class in test or examination preparation. I'd enjoyed this, and so decided to begin private tutoring as my senior year ended.

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

  I tutor all levels of mathematics and science from Years 7-10, as well as Mathematical Methods and Chemistry in SACE Stages 1-2 (Years 11-12). I am experienced in tutoring MathTrackX as well, which is a substitute for Mathematical Methods as a prerequisite to some degrees. I love to discuss the real-life applications of certain topics with my students. For example, in Topic 2 of SACE Stage 2 Chemistry, students learn about ways to increase rates of reactions and yield of products by modifying pressure, temperature, concentrations of reactants, etc. Sometimes the necessary changes to increase yield may decrease the rate of reaction, and vice versa. Hence, it is important to find a balance and understand the implications of this in industrial processes! If I'm making ammonia in a fertiliser plant, I want the most product, as quickly as possible, with the lowest manufacturing expenses. This is what I like to explore in my lessons, as it engages students, increases content retention, and improves grades.

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

  I was privileged enough to have the same maths teacher from Years 9-12. She encouraged us, made us advance as a group, all the while supporting those performing worse, and extending people who were bored with class content. This teacher had always encouraged me to shoot as high as possible, and truly inspired me to perform my best.

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

  There are a few key qualities that every good tutor requires. Foremost, every tutor requires a strong subject understanding, being well-versed in the relevant topics and methodologies they're teaching. While knowledge is important, it's imperative that every tutor knows how to communicate their understanding to their students. Without communication skills, knowledge is trapped inside the teacher's mind and will never have a valuable effect on the student. Similarly, a good tutor should show empathy and understand the challenges that students face, and why they might be struggling. A failure to empathise means that a tutor can't even begin to understand the student's attitude towards learning, goals, nor the reason that a student may be falling behind.

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

  Something that I've learnt only by experience is the importance of setting goals. I found that, personally, to improve my own results, I needed to set high expectations and shoot for them - otherwise, I was content with cruising by. In students that I've tutored, I notice the greatest improvement comes from students who are motivated to achieve long term goals (i.e. a certain grade, career pathway, or university degree). Otherwise, it can be hard to see what you're actually working towards.

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

  I faced challenges in the years prior to Year 12 in achieving my academic goals. I was achieving low A's in Year 11 for many of the subjects I was going to pursue in the following year, and knew I had to improve if I wanted to get into my top preference course. I overcame these challenges by creating a schedule, sticking to it, practising until mastery, and taking onboard the feedback that my teacher gave me. Many students don't have the privilege of having the foundational knowledge in their classes, nor the approach to overcome their difficulties, and that's where I fit in as a tutor.

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

  I am passionate about teaching and seeing my students succeed. There is a clear trend regarding educational attainment and life outcomes (income, employment, health, lifespan) - and this drives me. Why would I not share my understanding when doing so has such clear benefits? I'm also passionate about learning in my degree (BMedSt / MD), as it allows me to explore my scientific interests, ideally something I will be able to do for the rest of my career.

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

  What makes me a Superprof is my enthusiasm for learning and sharing my knowledge with my pupils, in addition to my commitment to their success.