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Find out more about Denise

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

  I developed an interest in Physics during my undergraduate studies where I had a lecturer who put in a lot of extra effort into me and helped me gain a deeper understanding of my study content. This assistance motivated me to help others to also have access to a similar experience. I, therefore, became a university facilitator for practical workshops and also for research practices. I later had the opportunity to become an English teacher (ESL/TOEFL/IELTS) in China which led me to understand that there was a gap in Physics between the use of English and the understanding students have of the questions they are being asked in tests or exams. This further fuelled the fire for assisting students in understanding Physics more effectively through understanding English.

• 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 mainly teach Physics (IGCSE/AS/A-Levels/ undergraduate university students) and English (ESL/TOEFL/IELTS). I also enjoy teaching Geography which formed a part of my Bachelor's studies. I enjoy discussing the practical aspects of the subjects and showing them the practical application of the various concepts. I believe that we cannot learn something that we don't understand the use for. I cannot say that one topic is more interesting to me than another because the whole subject of physics has so many facets to it. The same goes with English, since each student is unique, one cannot become bored with teaching this subject. I constantly adjust what I teach and how I teach it so that the student can get the maximum benefit from my knowledge and reach their goals effectively.

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

  I would say my lecturers at University inspired me. They were always available to assist in answering my questions during office hours and they went to great lengths to ensure that I understood what they explained. I also changed schools quite often and therefore benefitted from a wide array of influences from various magnanimous teachers. Without the experiences I had during school and university I definitely would not have achieved as much as I had up till now. Obviously, it was due to their guidance and they couldn't pass exams or subjects on my behalf, but they provided me with the tools I needed to be able to achieve.

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

  Patience, listening, flexibility, and applicable subject knowledge. A tutor needs patience since every student is not on the same level and it can take time to find out which knowledge gaps the student has. Listening is also a requirement since the student provides many clues when they speak about a topic as to what they know or do not know. Flexibility is important so that the tutor can adapt to the students' needs and tailor the lesson to their needs while addressing the knowledge gaps and content. Applicable subject knowledge is also a requirement since it is easy to confuse oneself when explaining topics to students, especially if the students ask many questions. It's always good to review the topic before a lesson to ensure that the student gets a clear, logical and step by step explanation of the content. This helps the student to remember and use the knowledge more easily in future.

• Share an anecdote related to your subject or your school days.

  Anything is possible through diligence. With diligence, we break everything down into daily steps that we follow to achieve our goals. This daily practice in anything will allow us to move closer and closer to our goals and objectives.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or are still facing at school?

  During school, I changed schools many times. I was in a total of 11 schools in 12 years of schooling. I also homeschooled for 4 consecutive years. The challenge in this was that I had to continually adapt to new teachers and their teaching styles or methods. Not one teacher ever taught any subject in the same way. This difficulty could have been a stumbling block, but I changed it into an opportunity. The opportunity was to learn as much as possible from each teacher because of their vastly different methods and thinking. It broadened the way I approach teaching and tutoring, which allows me to be more flexible and adapt as much as possible to what the student needs.

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

  I love doing disaster management and also assisting people to reach their respective goals in learning. It's the best feeling when I see that I'm transferring useful skills and tools to my students, peers and colleagues. Clearly, these two topics are vastly different to the reader, but in my mind, they have one major similarity to which I'm drawn. The similarity is problem-solving. I enjoy problem-solving immensely since it allows me to feel challenged all the while contributing something positive to those around me. Every problem is like a puzzle and we just need to fit the pieces together in the appropriate way.

• What makes you a Superprof?

  In my mind, I can always improve and I improve through learning from my students while also tutoring them. My definition of being a Superprof is "Being the most effective and rounded tutor possible, to rise to the occasion of helping my students reach their goals."