Mathew Smith - Professional Teacher in Manchester
I graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 2013 in Natural Sciences (specialising in chemistry) and went straight onto the Teach First graduate programme. For the past three years, I have taught science at Essa Academy in Bolton to students with a vast range of abilities and levels of engagement and have led on engaging and challenging gifted and talented students looking to apply to the top universities.
I am a professional, enthusiastic and committed teacher who is passionate about sharing knowledge and experience with students of all ages and abilities. At Essa, I strive to instil in my students a determination to succeed and a confidence in their own abilities that allows them to maximise their potential – qualities that I have transferred to tutoring with great success.
Subjects I Teach
My Education & Qualifications
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University of Manchester, 2014 – 2016
Education (MA): -
University of Manchester, 2013 – 2014
Education (PGCE): -
University of Cambridge, 2009 – 2013
Natural Sciences (specialising in chemistry) (MSc): 2:1
My Tutoring & Teaching Experience
I have been a teacher of science and mathematics for three years at a co-educational academy in Bolton. As the academy is a non-selective state school, I have taught students with a vast range of abilities, backgrounds and levels of engagement and have led on projects that aim to challenge gifted and talented students looking to apply to the top universities. These have included using my links at Trinity College to organise residential courses at Cambridge University and organising medical school taster courses run by medical students from the University of Manchester.
This commitment to my students and the ensuing positive effect on their attainment has increased in scope since becoming assistant head of science and I have revelled in this increased level of responsibility that has given me a wider perspective on how to improve the achievement of all students, particularly those who are under-performing.
My Approach to Tutoring
I am a firm believer in Carol Dweck's "growth mindset" philosophy that argues that intelligence is not fixed and success can be achieved through hard work and a belief that one is capable of the seemingly impossible given enough effective practice. I strive to achieve this by instilling in my students a determination to succeed and a confidence in their own abilities that allows them to maximise their potential. I also work with the students to improve their metacognition and encourage them to understand when they are learning and committing things to their long term memory. It is important to develop techniques unique to each student that aid long term retention and show students how to develop these for themselves.
Fun Facts About Me
I enjoy playing football and represented both Trinity College and Cambridge during my time there.
My Client Testimonials
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GCSE Maths and Sciences
"Mathew is an excellent tutor. My daughter enjoyed her lessons with Mathew enormously. She thinks Mathew is very patient and is extremely clear, precise and direct in his explanation on the mathematical issues." -
Engineering Tripos at Cambridge Application
"We are very grateful for the job that Mathew has done for [our son], especially the diagnostic part of it, as we didn't know that he had significant gaps in his knowledge. We found Mathew very helpful managing the time pressure problem (and that was a main weakness for our son!)" -
GCSE Science
""A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and still have a love of learning." This is how I would like to describe Mathew Smith. Mathew is always available when my son needs help in his science subjects. He is patient and my son has learnt a lot from him - we really appreciate his efforts." -
A level and Pre-U Maths and Further Maths
"Mathew is an extremely clever, kind and patient tutor. His approach is simple and effective. His teaching method is so thorough and has made things so easy even for the Cambridge Pre-U Further Maths syllabus. I have recommended him to many friends and everyone thinks he is great." -
Engineering
"Mathew is such a clever and inspiring person to have around during the application time. It's very important for boys to have a role model in front of their eyes who is organized, hard working but at the same time very young, pleasant and sporty. Mathew is the perfect example we think!" -
GCSE Maths and Science
"Mydaughter always finished her lesson with Mathew on a high note telling me how much she had learnt or how well she understood then some of the problems she previously encountered. I anticipate a lot more lessons with Mathew in the near future as my daughter starts her A level Maths in September. I would highly recommend Mathew."
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