Patient, enthusiastic and experienced professional tutor - Science and Maths sessions with Dr Abby

Find out more about Abby

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

  I was a science kid and remember being 8 years old and telling people that I was going to be a medical researcher when I grew up. I ended up as a cell biologist so not too far off! I loved working in research science but one of my favourite parts was always teaching. I then started tutoring MSc and BSc students and a little over ten years ago, I moved back to the UK and expanded to working with GCSE and A-level students. I never went back to work in a lab, tutoring has been my chosen career ever since.

• 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 help students with maths and all the sciences at GCSE / equivalent level but then focus on chemistry and biology at A-level standard and only biology beyond that. I think it's really important to be an expert in what you're tutoring.
  
  My favourite subjects are biology and maths and I'm always delighted to talk through those. I especially love teaching A-level and GCSE students about genetic inheritance and evolution because I have so much extra trivia to slip in.
  
  I tutor GCSE Physics too and helping students study electricity is one of my favourite things in all of the GCSE sciences. So many students initially treat it as an unexplainable magical force and when they understand it after we study, it's wonderful.

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

  My maths teacher at school was brilliant; he always explained things clearly and didn't try and show us flashy hacks that are sometimes more complicated than understanding the topic fully. I really appreciated him and his confidence in us.

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

  I think you need to be kind, enthusiastic and clear. You have to relate to the student, whether they are an MSc student needing help to understand some primary research or a 13-year-old getting to grips with algebra for the first time.

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

  Maths revision was always my favourite because it was just loads of puzzles. I still love doing maths questions for fun!
  
  I used to write copious pages of notes while revising for other exams, simply copying the words from one place to another hoping to memorise it all. Eventually, I realised that understanding is key and the best way to start to do that is to have a conversation about it.

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

  Memorising huge list of stats with no context was tricky for me sometimes. Thankfully, this means that I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help students.
  
  The challenge I face when teaching the highest-level university students is simply keeping up with the latest research studies. Science moves on so quickly!

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

  I enjoy the brain activity that is needed to work with university students and especially any excuse to keep up with cell biology research. When we're working on a specialist subject, I often read a lot around the topic for my own enjoyment!
  
  My "main" job, which I do most days of the week, is to tutor secondary-level exam students. This is because more than anything, I love experiencing teenagers' confidence and enthusiasm bloom when they understand something for the first time - especially if it's something they've struggled with for a while. Kids are brilliant and it's such a privilege to hang out with so many of them.

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

  I am really enthusiastic about the subjects I teach - maths and sciences - my lessons are relaxed and chatty but I have enough experience to consistently help students get great results. I love tutoring and especially enjoy how often I get to have amazing, insightful conversations with learners.