Engaging Tuition in Economics at GCSE / A Level with a First-Class Graduate

Find out more about Jewel

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

  I developed an interest in both Business and Economics during my GCSE studies. I thoroughly enjoyed applying the concepts I learned in class to real-world businesses around me. After discovering Economics at A Level, I became aware of how well the two subjects complimented one another, Economics providing the context that Business Studies sits within. To this day, I continue to enjoy the harmony of the two subjects through tuition.

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  If we are honest, school can often feel out of touch with the realities of the world. I will be the first to admit that I have never used Pythagoras theorem outside of school but Economics and Business are two of the most practical subjects outside of academic settings. Behavioural Economics is one of my favourite subject areas as it dives into our biases (e.g. Anchoring) which I have used to negotiate higher salaries at work. Business also contains a whole section on Branding which includes principles like having a Unique Selling Point. This has helped me cultivate a brand in the workplace helping secure my job (i.e. my employer has 'Brand Loyalty' to me). In the "hustle culture" we live in, practical skills have never been more needed and Economics and Business are the few places in academics where the real-life application couldn't be more evident.

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

  Jesus is my biggest role model, particularly as a teacher. Jesus lived in a way that exemplified the best qualities of a teacher. In His teachings, He was thorough and patient and His delivery was full of kindness and joy. When he had to discipline He did so with gentleness and love. He was faithful to his students and endured with them, never giving up. I aspire every day with each of my students to be a teacher who reflects these qualities.

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

  I believe that while all tutors must be intelligent, what truly makes a tutor exceptional is possessing multifaceted intelligence. There are several types of intelligence and I believe all of us excel in one of them, however, tutors need to demonstrate proficiency across multiple forms. This quality
  enables them to recognize the specific type of intelligence their student displays and tailor their teaching approach accordingly. By doing so, tutors can impart academic knowledge to students in a meaningful way that goes beyond the classroom. This requires emotional intelligence to build a relationship with students and intrapersonal intelligence to not impose your own learning style on them. Logical, Visual, Kinetic and Linguistic intelligence will be needed to adapt teaching methods in ways that resonate with each of these different intelligence types. As each student is unique, good tutors must exercise this intellectual versatility to bring out the intellect in each student.

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

  I remember being in my Economics class during A Levels and thinking i had discovered the economic concept of "The Tragedy of the Commons". My teacher was teaching about public goods and I explaining public goods as a concept and i put my hand up to talk about how people will abuse the resource if they don't have to pay for it and my teacher let me know that i was explaining the issue of the Tragedy of the Commons. I spent the rest of that day telling everyone I had founded an economic theory! Of course, I didn't find it but it was the first time I felt connected to the subject beyond just reading about it in a textbook - I was finally beginning to think like an economist!

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

  Economics and Business are extremely practical subjects so I find most people do understand the concepts. They are a lot more relevant to our day-to-day lives than most subjects but unfortunately, they are still academic subjects and so even though we understand the concepts in our brains, it can be challenging to articulate that understanding in an academic way that is going to get marks in exams. It's often the most challenging thing to help connect the mental understanding of the subject to the academic language that has to be used in exam answers.

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

  I have a deep passion for helping students reach that "eureka" moment when everything clicks, and they truly understand a concept. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing someone transition from confusion to clarity and knowing I played a role in that transformation. I find immense satisfaction in identifying what's holding someone back and guiding them past that obstacle.

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

  What makes me a Superprof is my ability to genuinely connect with students beyond the traditional student-teacher relationship. I don't just see myself as someone delivering lessons; I see myself as a mentor, a guide, and someone who truly understands their perspective. I relate to my students because I've been in their shoes-I remember the challenges, the self-doubt, and the effort that comes with being a student. That shared experience allows me to approach teaching with empathy and create an environment where students feel supported, understood, and motivated to succeed.