Jonathan Bower's Tutor Profile (see if Jonathan is in your area!)

Maths
GCSE or Standards - £20.00p.h.

Politics
A-Level or Highers - £25.00p.h.

Economics
A-Level or Highers - £25.00p.h.

Music
GCSE or Standards - £20.00p.h.

Personal Description: In my profile picture I am painting on a trip that I ran to Rwanda in July 2008 for students.

I am a passionate and goal-oriented yet friendly and personable tutor. I have a well-rounded yet rigorous education; I am currently studying for a Masters degree in development economics at SOAS after completing a Bachelors degree at Oxford University in politics, philosophy and economics.

I have a track record as an educator and well-established gift for clear communication and connection with students. During the last 3 years I founded and ran a student organisation, Aegis Students, which became the youth and student department of a charity (Aegis Students, affiliated to Aegis Trust) for which I had worked on my gap year. One of its three mission pillars is to educate students about crises such as those in Darfur and Rwanda how we may prevent them in the future. As well as coaching students to seed groups all over the UK, I personally started Aegis Students groups in Oxford University and the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Tutoring Experience: I presented over 100 sessions on Darfur and Rwanda to university and school students aged between 10 and 25 as part of an educational and fundraising effort for the charity Aegis Trust. During my two years with Aegis I learnt quickly to gauge different audiences and the well-received talks frequently resulted in students starting groups, running events and raising funds. I worked directly with both school- and university-students to advise them on how to go about campaigning, raising awareness or raising funds.

I have also helped my parents (who are highly qualified and experienced music teachers from whose approach I have learnt much) teach the piano and the violin to a few of their students.

Tutoring Approach: My approach begins with finding out what the student - and the parents - want to achieve by employing a tutor. I listen the student discuss what his or her aims are and what are his/her areas of concern - and make my own observations - not only from the perspective of curricular knowledge but also from that of academic skills.

From this starting point I create, in conjunction with the student, a plan to achieve these aims. What exactly this entails varies according to the student's needs, level and personality.

I then work with the student to achieve this plan, monitoring and adjusting along the way where necessary.

More generally I wish to cultivate in the student a passion and wonder for the subject and a desire to pursue it independently, which is crucial for the development of critical thought.

Qualifications:

• BA Hons (2:1) Politics, Philosophy, Economics, St Hugh's College, Oxford University;
• Currently Studying for MSc, Development Economics at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
• Grade 8 Trumpet (2002), 3 years' trumpet playing in classical and jazz orchestras at Oxford University
• 4 As at A'level (History, Maths, Physics, Music) and 5A*s,5As, 2Bs at GCSE, Best in School & Silver Awards, Intermediate UK Maths Challenge

Availability: Weekends / Weekdays (evenings)
References Available: Yes
CRB Check: No