Guide to maths tuition for A Level students
When to turn to a private maths tutor
An A level student is unlikely to ask parents to seek out maths and physics tutors for out-of-school classes. It is therefore often the parent's responsibility to pay attention to certain signs:
- Hatred of maths. It is easy for maths not to be among the favourite subjects of A Level students. However, this rejection may be due to the wrong study method. The risk of underestimating this type of problem is that the student may feel led to abandon the study of maths because of a prejudice, and then find themself overwhelmed in the run-up to exams.
- Impatience and stress. If complaints and protests accompany every attempt to spur your child to study maths or doing homework, it would be better not to ignore them. It may be that the aforementioned rejection has worsened the situation, undermining the self-esteem of the child who feels that they are not really suited to maths. What is triggered is a vicious and toxic cycle which can, however, be broken if the right teaching tools are used.
- Fluctuating grades and frequent failures. An occasional failing grade should not be demonised, but if it is a frequent situation, it would be preferable to intervene and seek a solution. Grades at A Level are essential for getting into university.
More tips for passing physics and chemistry or other science subjects.
Is it a good idea to get a maths tutor for A-Level?
Whether or not you need an A-Level maths tutor is up to you as an individual and depends on your needs and your goals. However, improving grades is not the only benefit of maths tutoring for A Level students:
- It boosts self-esteem. Seeing your own progress will be the best motivational boost for you There are few satisfactions comparable to seeing that you can overcome your own difficulties or limitations. You will no longer have the thought of "maths is not for me!", and you will realise for yourself that the only limitation we have is sometimes the one we impose on ourselves.
- You will learn how to study better. As we have seen, poor performance in maths is often due to the wrong method of study. A private tutor will be able to direct you towards the most effective study techniques, which you will learn to apply independently for other subjects as well, giving you tools that you will be able to use even after high school.
- You will be able to open doors you hadn't thought of before. With maths tutoring, you will be able to rediscover a love for this so often despised subject. Perhaps you love the study of science, but are afraid to enrol in a maths-related course at university, just to avoid maths. We should not let fear guide such an important decision.
Maths tuition for A Level students: online or at home?
Both methods of tuition are equally valid. One is not intrinsically better than the other. However, before embarking on either method, it is best to understand which one will be more engaging and interesting for the pupil.
On FindTutors, most tutors for maths offer the possibility of an initial lesson free of charge. You could try contacting both off-line and online maths tutors, and then decide together with your child in which of the two formats they prefered.
If you decide to opt for online maths lessons for A Level students, then make sure you have all the following things:
- A quiet space. It is important that there is no background noise that could disrupt the lesson or worse still prevent your child from hearing the teacher or vice versa. Also, it must be a room where there is no constant flow of people, distractions or possible interruptions.
- A good Internet connection. The aim is always to avoid interruptions as much as possible. If soemone's voice is not heard clearly, it will be impossible and frustrating to continue the lesson.
- An efficient computer. Make sure that the computer used for the lessons is not too slow and that all the programmes required for the class are already installed on it. Before starting, ask the teacher what programmes to download for video calls or for doing the exercises, so that your children can immediately immerse themselves in the learning experience.
- Headphones. By using headphones, you will avoid vocal feedback and the sound will be clearer and smoother.
