Laura Caune - Private Tutor in Central London

I am a graduate student of computing science at Imperial College London. After graduating, I hope to pursue research in artificial intelligence for a PhD. I have a first-class honours from University of Bath in Mathematics. During my time at Bath I worked as a tutor for the university tutoring first year students. I have also completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma, focusing on higher level maths.

I have a deep appreciation of the logical and structured world of mathematics and enjoy passing it on. I believe mathematics to be a beautiful, interconnected subject. Thus, I am motivated by the thrill of sharing this belief and witnessing students realise how perfectly everything fits and connects in the world of mathematics. My passion for mathematics combined with knowledge gained by extensive study of the subject makes me a dedicated, caring and enthusiastic tutor.

My Education & Qualifications

• Imperial College London, 2019 – ongoing
  Computing Science (MSc):
• University of Bath, 2015 – 2019
  Mathematics (BSc): First-class honours
• International Baccalaureate, 2012 – 2015
  Maths HL, Economics HL, Physics SL, Geography SL, English A SL (): Total of 40 points with an A in the Extended Essay in Mathematics

My Tutoring & Teaching Experience

During my final year at University of Bath I tutored a weekly algebra class for first year students. My duties included identifying and explaining main errors in previous week's homework, determining and covering the most crucial topics covered in the lectures, preparing students for the current week's homework as well as marking the homework and giving general advice for succeeding with mathematics. I was very excited and pleased, when a highly respected lecturer, Dr. Alastair Craw, praised my way of communicating mathematics, after observing a class.

During my second year at University I worked as a drop-in tutor at the University's Mathematics and Statistics Help Centre. The job required to have a sound knowledge of all 10 modules studied by first year students. Working in a drop-in it was important to be able to quickly identify what the students where struggling with and how to address it the most effectively.

My Approach to Tutoring

When teaching I believe it is crucial to be patient, not rush and remember to place yourself in the shoes of the student. I often like to remember my own thought process when I familiarised myself with new mathematical concepts and use them to help the student grasp new mathematical ideas. It is important to remember the student is tackling these topics for the first time and perhaps does not yet have the years of experience. I also think being understanding of student's struggles and giving them confidence can improve their performance and motivation to study.

While tutoring, I have learned how effective drawings, diagrams, summaries and good analogies are when teaching mathematics. I have noticed that very simple details, if left unaddressed, can confuse students. Therefore, I make sure to thoroughly explain every detail of a topic, I believe it adds up to a better understanding of the full picture. I also like to provide lots of examples and exercises, as mathematics is often best learned in practice. As a tutor at the university my duties included marking students' homework. I would prepare a summary of the main errors every week. Hence, I have gained a good understanding of how to identify and explain issues and misunderstandings in students' works. I also recognise the importance of addressing their style of mathematical writing, making sure they know how to convey their understanding in a comprehensible way. Additionally, I have noticed how helpful it is to explain the difficult concepts in simpler terms and from various angles. Textbooks are more formal and can be harder to grasp.

Fun Facts About Me

I started dancing at the age of four and I still attend weekly ballet as well as yoga classes. I am also a big fan of classical literature and particularly love Leo Tolstoy.

• First year university algebrea
  "Laura is an exceptionally able mathematician with the rare quality of understanding intuitively what students require. She provides great advice, and she gives confidence to her students."