Matthew

I studied Geography at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2018. Since then, I've completed two master's degrees and lived in eight different countries. I'm now living in Tbilisi, Georgia, where I work as an English (ESL) teacher and private tutor. In my free time, I love to cook, exercise and relax by watching movies, going for walks and reading. I have also just moved to Tbilisi in Georgia, which has been a fascinating cultural experience. Since relocating to Georgia, I've started learning to play the guitar and speak Russian.

Tutoring Experience

I work full-time remotely as a tutor. I focus mainly on geography, university admissions (especially Oxbridge), school admissions tests (e.g. 11+, 13+, 16+), and English as a second language (ESL, including IELTS), but I have experience with a wide variety of other subjects as well. I don't have another job, so all my efforts are focused on my students. I graduated from Cambridge University in 2018 with a high 2.i in Geography and have since obtained two master's degrees (one MSc and one MA) in related fields. Over the past several years, I've gained over 2,000 hours of teaching experience in different teaching and learning environments. I currently work for some of the most reputable tutoring agencies in the UK, for example Dukes Education, Oxbridge Applications, and Blue Tutors. I also have experience in schools: for example, I completed a work placement at a PRU in Stockport, where I worked with neurodivergent students with special educational needs.

Tutoring Approach

I enjoy tutoring mostly because I find it very satisfying to see students learn and progress. I myself enjoy learning and getting better at things: for example, I'm currently learning to play the guitar and speak Russian. Every student is different, so I adopt a tailored approach. Generally speaking, though, I work with students to identify weak areas first, then go about improving them through targeted explanations of key terms and processes. After that, we work on applying this new knowledge in the best possible way with practice exam questions. Using mark schemes, I show students how to break each question down and respond directly to command words. I've worked extensively with all GCSE and A-level syllabuses, so I understand how to answer different types of exam questions to get top marks, including longer essays. I have tried and tested techniques that will help you increase your grades, no matter what point you're starting at. For example, for students struggling with time pressure, I show them how to be as efficient as possible, cutting out excess words to save time whilst still answering the question and hitting all the assessment criteria.