Megan H.

Qualified teacher and PhD trained research scientist, specialist tutor in biology at A-level.

I hold a PhD in molecular microbiology, an MSc in biomedical sciences and a BSc in biology. I have extensive experience in scientific research, both in industry and academia with posts held at King’s College London and most recently University College London. Since my academic days I have retrained to gain Qualified Teaching Status and have been teaching for the last ten years in top secondary schools and lecturing in Higher Education. 

In the past I have worked as a full-time tutor with students who need crash course revision sessions during the holidays/study leave in the run up to exam season. I have taken on long-term tutees where I designed a weekly program to teach the complete A-level course. My experience in supporting a range of students with individual educational learning needs has enabled development of methods for excellent student progress. I have supported students in their biology studies in preparation for medical school with successful offers made from UK universities and worked with students to develop their personal statements for UCAS applications. 

I offer a bespoke tutoring programme to suit the needs of each individual. As I am familiar with Edexcel, AQA and OCR exam boards programs can be designed accordingly. 

I employ a comprehensive approach to teaching by providing a lay overview and conducting an initial informal assessment to identify areas for development. From there, the finer details are extensively explained, and the common misconceptions clarified. By paying particular attention to synoptic links across the course, students can gain an understanding of the bigger picture. This supports students’ understanding of the relationships between topics and prepares them for the linear (rather than modular) examination style of the current A-level courses.

I build confidence in my students by finding approaches that help them succeed. I design my teaching resources to suit the individual needs of my students to enhance their progress. Building rapport with my students is an important goal in my teaching style as progress is boosted when my students enjoy their lessons.

Given my experience I like to provide a little extra context that extends outside of the limitations of a curriculum so that students can appreciate the subject in a real-world context. I also urge students to stay in touch over the week between sessions with any questions so that they can be addressed in follow-on sessions to maximise their progress.