Cambridge graduate; "The number one 11+, 13+ specialist in London" The Telegraph

Learn more about Alexander

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

  I first started tutoring when I finished my Cambridge degree and was in London training to be an opera singer. I found that I really missed academia, so when my younger cousins told my mum that they were struggling with maths at school I offered to spend some time with them to see if I might be able to help. I discovered their relative strengths and the areas in which they needed more time and clearer explanations and very soon they jumped up a maths set in school. Needless to say, I found the experience immensely rewarding and I sought out more students who needed private tutoring!

• 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).

  Having become so well-known for my skills helping students through the 11+ and 13+, I find myself teaching Maths, English, NVR and VR most of the time! I'll be perfectly honest here and admit that I really struggled with Maths and NVR at school. I would have given anything for an extra few hours a week with a tutor to spend more time with me and explain the myriad of concepts that I didn't understand at school. I think that is precisely the reason why I love helping students with Maths and NVR in particular. I see myself in the students that I meet and recognise instantly the support that they need. There's so such thing as 'being bad at Maths' or 'being rubbish at NVR'. They just need to right person to spend time with them and explain things in a different way!

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

  Mozart is a role model. There was no end to his genius and creative powers. He excelled in all areas of music - composing, performing and conducting. He could write intimate string quartets for occasions in a drawing room as well as enormous symphonies, operas and oratorios.

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

  How many people will answer this questions with 'passion', 'positivity' or 'patience' do you think? I'll give you another answer beginning with 'p' that I think is more important that all of them. Personality. Yes there are difficult exams that need to be passed and there are mock tests that need to be marked. This doesn't mean that the lessons shouldn't be enjoyable! An adaptive personality is required to mould to what the student needs. Do they need some humour to put them at ease and open their mind up to learning? Do they thrive when challenged and there's a sense of competition? A normal private tutor simply identifies and teaches areas of academic weakness. I identify their personality and what parts of this are not being met at school. I mould myself into what they need to spark their interest and get them into the right mindset to learn freely and without inhibition. Nobody can learn efficiently if they're bored or not enjoying themselves!

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

  I used to complain about the teachers being 'bad' and would blame them for my lower marks in those subjects. I still remember when my older brother told me his great 'secret'. He never did his homework and paid little attention in class but always did brilliantly in his exams. I found it immensely frustrating! One day, he showed me the list of maths subjects that were coming up in his exam, all of which had different little marks next to them. He explained that the majority of them (marked with a + sign) he understood and just needed to practise himself with exercises from the back of the textbook. There were two marked with a different sign. He explained that those were the only ones that he didn't really understand and needed to listen out for in class. "You are in charge of what you learn and what you practise, not the teacher! I doesn't matter if the teacher is 'bad'. Either practise something yourself or get someone else to explain it more clearly. Don't rely on them!".

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

  There are endless ways to explain a topic but only one that will click with a particular student! Even with my years of experience, I am constantly trying to come up with new and creative ways to approach areas in which a particular student is struggling. What works for one student is very much not the same as what works for another!

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

  There is nothing more satisfying than when a student exclaims 'Oh yeah, I get it now!'. That moment when something clicks and the student can then run on their own feet is exhilarating both for the student and for me!

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

  There are a lot of part-time tutors out there looking to make an extra buck on the side. There are very few, however, who have been in the business for a decade, have a proven track record and have even been written about in the major UK newspapers. Would you want a second-rate lawyer to represent you? Would you prefer to have a driver who has just passed their test taking you in their car or someone with years of experience? The greatest thing a parent can do for their child is to give them the best education possible. I can provide that.