Today, I observed James tutoring Tristan, his year 10 maths student, on the topic of financial maths, focusing on calculating interest. James began by asking Tristan what he already knew about interest, which was a great way to gauge his understanding before introducing new material. He used Tristan’s responses as a starting point and built on them, explaining concepts clearly. When introducing simple and compound interest, James broke the calculations down carefully, making sure Tristan understood why each step was done rather than just how to do it.
He highlighted how compound interest builds over time, ensuring he had explained thoroughly how it grows faster than simple interest. His explanations were thorough but easy to follow, and he used everyday examples (e.g. loans) to make the maths feel more relevant.A strong moment was when he explained the difference between monthly and yearly interest. He walked Tristan through how annual rates compare with monthly calculations, showing him how to convert between them and why that matters.

James paused regularly to check Tristan’s understanding, instead of rushing through the content, and asked him to explain the process back in his own words. This helped reinforce confidence and showed that he was genuinely grasping the concept.
Throughout the session, James balanced clear instruction with encouragement. He guided his student when he needed help but also gave him space to think things through independently. This kept Tristan actively involved and made the lesson feel engaging rather than passive.
Overall, James’s teaching style was approachable, patient, and well structured. It was great to see how naturally James connected with his student while still maintaining a strong focus on learning and understanding.

Pamela Casiou