About

Introduction

I am a secondary mathematics teacher with experience across all mathematics subjects taught in Queensland. I cover Specialist Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, General Mathematics and Years 7–10 Mathematics.

I started Tangent Tuition as I am passionate about student success and belief building in Mathematics.

Teaching philosophy

When a student does not understand a concept in class, this does not mean that they are incapable of understanding the topic or that they are not a “maths person”.

Normally, a student is only one or two key gaps away from better understanding a problem. What is exciting about Mathematics teaching is that I get to work with students to identify and fill those gaps in an environment that is safe and caring. For me, the great privilege in mathematics education is to build belief, particularly with our learners who have doubts or fears.

This growth mindset can be powerful for students, and carry through to their other subjects in their formative years as learners. Mathematics can be fun and engaging once we have broken down these barriers that may have built up due to an accumulation of small, fixable gaps in student understanding.

For me and my students, tutoring offers a safe space where a student can vent about what is confusing them in an environment without judgement. We can then work together to build understanding and confidence!

Experience

I have worked in Mathematics classrooms since 2018, and have worked as a Head of Department since 2022. I can tutor all mathematics subjects from Years 7 to 12, and cover the Specialist Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, General Mathematics and Essential Mathematics courses for senior students. I have an in-depth understanding of up-to-date teaching and learning strategies, the intricacies of the QCAA and expectations for the external exam, having worked with the QCAA in my teaching career.

An experienced teacher is a worthwhile investment, as we have so many strategies in our tool kit that a strong university student who was good at mathematics may not have! Experienced teachers have worked with many different learners with different learning dispositions, have consistently demonstrated the capacity to address gaps in student knowledge, and have an in-depth understanding of the curriculum requirements of mathematics from Years 7 to 12.

Qualifications

• Master of Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic University
• Graduate Diploma of Science: Mathematics for High School Teaching, University of Southern Queensland
• Master of Teaching, Mathematics and Science, Griffith University
• Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Griffith University
• Queensland College of Teachers registration: 913088

Approach to tutoring

Student learning works best as a collaborative approach between parent, student and teacher. As such, parents can expect regular updates after tutoring sessions on what was covered, what gaps may have been identified and what work was set for completion in between sessions.

To best ensure student success, I request that, when booking a session, you indicate topics for growth and specific questions to be covered. I am happy to bring my own questions to solidify topics, but I find sessions work best when students have identified, and attempted, specific questions so we can narrow down misconceptions quicker.

Interleaved learning through retrieval practice is a fantastic way to learn, and as such, I will set work for completion in between sessions to support knowledge acquisition.

Tutoring sessions are always non-judgemental spaces where students can ramble, ask questions, let off steam and share how they are feeling about their learning in a safe environment. My job is not to judge, but to support students through the learning process.

How resources are made

Many resources online, and in textbooks, are fantastic mathematics resources, but not necessarily strong resources for preparation under the Queensland system, as they cover topics that are beyond the expected syllabus, miss topics within the syllabus, or overemphasise areas of the syllabus that are not historically assessed in external assessment.

All my resources are tailor-made with the Queensland system in mind. I have completed every past QCAA question myself, read every subject report, and have developed a strong understanding of the patterns that external exams follow, what knowledge is essential, and what knowledge we can ignore a bit.

These are Queensland-first resources, written by a Queensland teacher for Queensland students, who is obsessed with ensuring students are prepared as best as possible for future QCAA exams.

My resources are written with teenage learners in mind, and avoid as much jargon as possible, getting to the point as soon as possible. All resources are fully animated with visuals to support student learning.

Many of these resources are free, and can be accessed at any time! Premium resources are a significant value-add and are focused on building understanding from the ground up to support external exam performance.