About my background as a Chemistry Educator
I am a former Head of Chemistry with over fifteen years of teaching experience from KS3 to A Level. I spent the first twelve years teaching in UK schools and since 2019 I have been an independent online Chemistry educator, working extensively with home educated students, as well as supporting students with their in school studies. I teach all of the courses offered by CanDoChem and have written / produced all of the accompanying resources.
Whilst in the classroom, I taught the Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry course for six years, at one of the UK’s top independent schools, so I know the specification and exam style inside out. As an extremely experienced A Level Chemistry teacher, I ensure that excellent foundations are set in place for those who wish to go on to study Chemistry at a higher level. This is really important in terms of helping to smooth what can otherwise be a challenging transition from IGCSE to A Level Chemistry. I am also an examiner, so have a focus on teaching exam technique, which I embed in the IGCSE course from the start. As a former Head of Chemistry, I am very experienced at taking a specification and putting it into a sensible teaching order and producing high quality resources to accompany it.
I have a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge, so am (mostly) able to answer the challenging questions that my students like to throw at me! I also have a PGCE and a Masters in Education, from Cambridge. My educational expertise means that I am a very reflective teacher, who excels in simplifying concepts and building understanding in a step wise manner, which helps all students. My years in the classroom have given me a lot of experience in supporting students with SEND. I am adept at stretching students outside the specification, answering their questions and preparing them in a way that will set them up for further study in scientific disciplines should they choose this route. As well as being able to inspire the high fliers, it is worth mentioning that for many of my teaching years I took the lower (I)GCSE sets because I am patient and good at nurturing students. I believe in the importance of strong relationships with home and regular contact, as learning is a team effort. As a parent myself, I see each child as an individual and will do my best to help your child thrive.