Let's improve your chemistry grades together (A-level/GCSE)! Offering supportive and affordable tuition for students ready to step up their chemistry ability.

Find out more about Charles

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

  As far back as I can remember, I've always had a deep passion for the sciences and has never been stronger. I recently reached a peak of interest in the subject working on a never-been-studied Master's project tackling sustainable rice cultivation and soil microbiology. As well as my inherent fascination with the natural world, my family are also huge nature-supporters. Since I was young, they took me to experience the natural world and encouraged me to ask questions about what I was observing. After being the well-behaved quiet student at the start of school who never blew anyone away with amazing grades and results, I wanted to show people that I could achieve and put my passion to use. After spending a long time thinking I wasn't good enough, especially when the curriculum focused on maths and English, my school started introducing science topics. All of a sudden, I'd found what I was good at. After honing this interest and going on to achieve fantastic science grades in GCSE and A-level, I realised there was capacity for everyone to succeed if you combine passion and hard work. This, along with my enthusiasm for science communication made me want to become a private tutor. I also believe a large proportion of tutoring is intimidating and unapproachable so my aim was to create a personalised, friendly environment for students to actually enjoy learning and inspire them to see science as a welcome break from the confinement of other subjects.

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

  As I chose to study a biological sciences degree, specifically in ecology and conservation, these topics will always pique my interest the most. I often find students love learning about the history of the theory of evolution, speciation and genetic inheritance which always makes it a joy to teach. I also enjoy teaching organic chemistry, explaining how larger biological systems actually work, bridging the gap between the biology and the chemistry of a topic. A topic that I enjoy teaching less is quantitative chemistry, a topic which students are often afraid of and struggle with. It is always hard at first to encourage students to have the confidence to try and answer questions and not be afraid of making mistakes; but once students defeat these initial doubts, the results are very rewarding!

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

  Other than my hard-working family, several teachers who have invested into individuality and personalised their teaching methods to suit different students have inspired me the most. I had a teacher during primary school who was the first to see past the desire for high grades and focus on my personal achievements, no matter how small. Since then, I have always celebrated achievements disregarding how small they may be, mastering a topic that others grasp easily for example. In my tutoring, I am keen to celebrate these achievements and make each student feel proud of their progress.

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

  I believe a positive mindset and patience are the best assets in making a great tutor. A tutor who inspires students with positivity and allows them time to learn and grasp ideas is in my opinion a great combination of qualities. I also believe persistence and resilience are important; if a student is struggling or finding it difficult to engage, having a supportive encouraging tutor is the best way to make students feel like they can achieve even if they struggle initially.

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

  I remember when me and a friend were trying to get into the highest set in our year for science, studying hard and often being the top of the class before this. We got into this top set but once we started classes, we were now big fish in a bigger pond with a teacher who didn't hesitate to give out harsh marking and comments. After our first significant exam, we both didn't do as well as we would have liked and initially looked to move classes to avoid further criticism, thinking we weren't good enough. After being initially angry, we spoke and realised that this teacher was just trying to reach our full potential and at parent's evening surprised us by giving us extremely positive feedback. We kept persisting in the class and found our feet so this was a core memory of academic progress.

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

  The most significant difficulties in my subject are employment issues. Most environmental jobs require a driving license, which because of COVID-19, I was unable to get when I turned 17. These roles also require a strong level of experience and several years in the industry but this has just taught me to persist even more and gain volunteering experience wherever I can. Tutoring has taught me that my spare time can be productive and I can make a difference whilst traversing the job market. Giving tutoring and receiving positive feedback has given me the confidence to reach out to more employers and apply for more opportunities.

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

  I have a passion for making every student feel like they can achieve no matter their current confidence in a subject or background. My sister struggles with dyscalculia which made her progress towards a maths GCSE extremely challenging. Along with her determined attitude and maths tutoring she received with a great tutor, she achieved a pass grade in her GCSE maths. I realised I was prouder of her receiving a 4 in maths than I was receiving 7's and 8's during my GCSEs. This made me realise I had a passion for supporting students to achieve in this way and feeling gratified knowing that I supported them.

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

  Having never been a student where content and complex ideas come naturally to me, I understand what it's like to struggle to understand. Equally, the best teachers I had were the same and believed every student could achieve no matter their learning style or confidence. When students are struggling with a bit of content, I've been in their position and know exactly how it feels; this experience allows me to say and do exactly the right things to inspire them to believe in themselves and push through their doubts. As a tutor, it is vitally important to me to make students feel confident in themselves and not compare themselves to anyone who may appear to find things 'easy'. I believe this, along with my friendly approach and great sense of humour during lessons makes me a Superprof!