Graduate in Surrey who teaches Maths (at KS2, KS3, GCSE and A' Level), GCSE Physics and A' Level Economics.

Find out more about Kashif

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

  I first started tutoring in 1998.

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

  I teach Mathematics and Economics, both tough but rewarding subjects. These are subjects very applicable to everyday life. There are no particular topics I prefer to discuss with students. With Mathematics, the topics which I have found tricky with respect to my personal understanding mainly concern interpreting detailed worded questions involving some creativity in solving them.
  
  In particular, I like to express my enjoyment in Mathematics to students, a subject which I particularly enjoyed while at university as I found it intellectually rewarding.

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

  There are people on tv who have inspired me, such as the presenter Marcus de Sautoy, who has popularised maths on BBC - making it more accessible, relevant and fun. I have learned the importance of both having role models for students wanting to achieve academic success as well as the pastoral school teaching role involved in helping to provide guidance for students in preparation for becoming adults.

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

  A thorough knowledge of the subject is very important, but this alone is not enough. Personal qualities I bring to bear are an ability to empathise, to be very patient and to identify and focus on their gaps in knowledge so that I can design a plan to fill these gaps.
  
  It is very important to make students become aware that they have the ability to do well by believing in themselves. This provides encouragement for them to do better.
  
  My overall goal is to help them become independent learners who can ask questions, and if they can't find the answers for themselves, only then can they get assistance from teachers or a tutor.
  
  I am aware of the different styles of learning for students, and with this in mind, I try to identify their specific learning style: 1: visual, 2: auditory; 3: reflective; 4: kinesthetic (learning by doing)

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

  On one occasion as a student while at secondary school, I deliberately did not perform as well as I could in a particular maths test as I had experienced resentment from other students at how I always came top of the class in tests. I promised myself not do this again because I realised a student must do as well as he can by being true to him or herself.

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

  Often the difficulty is deciding at what level to pitch the course material for new students. The issue is that some students and parents are sometimes not clear about what the student's background is in the subject and consequently what my specific role is. Over time, I have asked more detailed questions to a parent or a student to help achieve greater clarity in this matter.

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

  Yes, teaching in general.

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

  Caring about students to do as well as they can is crucial. Knowing that in some small way I have inspired a student to perform as well as they can motivate me to improve my own standard of tuition.
  
  I am focussed on meeting a goal set at the start of a lesson and ensuring that when a student finishes the lesson, I make them aware if this goal has been met.
  
  My belief is that no questions asked by them are silly ones and I encourage an ethos of curiosity in them.