Mr Dower

Please Introduce Yourself?

My name is Mr Dower, I specialise in GCSE and A Level Economics, Science and Maths

What is your tutoring style?

My style varies slightly depending on the demands of the subject I’m tutoring. For example, in Math a lot more practice may be required on one topic compared with another subject such as Economics where there’s a lot more theory to understand at first. However, in all of my lessons as an educator, there is one style in common- I always strive to create connections between what we are learning and how it relates to the real world or the student’s life. 

Having these points of reference can help students to visualise and gain a better understanding of the topic at hand and why it’s important.

Making connections between the material being taught and the student’s life gives the student another viewpoint towards the topic. By doing this, I can better engage a student with a greater understanding of the particular subject helping them to visualise the meaning better and when they use this comparison in their own writing, they have the familiarity to draw upon.

By helping students to make associations between the material being taught and their own lives or the world around them, we can give them a more meaningful understanding of the topic. So when making lesson plans, I always ensure that I incorporate some form of real-world example or comparison that students can relate to.

One top tip for GCSE Science students?

GCSE Science can be a difficult course to navigate, with numerous concepts to understand and remember in order to gain a good grade. Therefore, it is essential that students use all resources available and have efficient studying habits in order to get the best out of their GCSE science course. My main tip for achieving success in this area is to utilise the GCSE science specification effectively.The GCSE science specification can often be seen as a daunting task, with a seemingly overwhelming number of topics to learn, however this is not actually the case.

The specification is an incredible tool for students to understand and make notes on specific topics. It is written in the order that topics are taught, and points out the key areas that students will need to know for the exam. By studying the specification and taking notes on the topics that are more difficult to understand, students can make sure that they are really grabbing the essential points from each topic.Alongside using the specification, there are other ways that students can ensure they get the best out of their GCSE science course. It is important that they create a proper structure to their studying, breaking up their studying time into manageable, bite-sized pieces and allowing time for breaks so that their brains have time to rest and process the information they have taken in. Another great tip for achieving a good grade is to revise thoroughly, preferably immediately after completing the learning of a topic. This helps to ensure that the memory of the key points is still fresh, and gives students more confidence going into the examination.

One top top for A Level Econ students?

The biggest tip I would say is make use of your practice, especially when you get the chance to write a 25 marker. As a student, it is so easy to just try and get work done as quickly as possible but to see improvement quickly in economics I recommend my students look back at their previous essays to see the pitfalls they fell into there. In particular, focus on the two separate marks (analysis, evaluation) you received. Often students struggle with the evaluation and continually do so as they don’t develop their points enough, however, if it is something you focus on early, huge improvements can be seen.

Why do you tutor?

My personal favourite part of tutoring is the relationship I have with my students and once I am confident that they are willing to ask any questions for me that is the best part of tutoring. 

Having experienced multiple tutoring lessons from the tutees perspective during my period at school, being able to ask any questions, unlike school, was huge in developing myself and this is what I strive for with my own students.

Tell us about a successful student that you remember teaching?

One of my greatest successes was with a student who I only had for a short time. A month before exams, I was given the challenge of helping a student who had failed their recent economic mock test and had grown to hate the subject. We worked endlessly together and right before the exam he had cracked the formula for essay question (over 50% of the paper). The improvement allowed the student to achieve the grades for their aspirational university and was something I was truly proud of, for both my own work and the student’s.