Experienced Maths Tutor & PhD Researcher Offering Junior Cycle, Leaving Cert and University Maths Grinds | Exam Preparation & Personalised Support

Find out more about Abena

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

  Honestly? My love for math didn't start with love at all it started with fear. For years, math was my nemesis. I genuinely dreaded it. But somewhere along the way, something clicked. I realised the fear wasn't about the math itself I had just given it too much power over me. The moment I took that power back, everything changed. I started helping friends who were stuck in that same mental block, breaking concepts down in ways that actually landed and it worked. Watching their confidence grow lit something up in me. Over four years and many students later, that instinct has sharpened into a real skill: identifying exactly where a student's understanding breaks down and rebuilding it from there, in a way that actually sticks.

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach and the topics you like (and maybe don't like as much!)

  Math is endlessly fascinating because it's everywhere in the architecture of buildings, in the way your phone processes images, in how Netflix decides what you'll watch next. I love teaching topics with obvious real-world hooks: geometry, algebra, arithmetic anything where I can show a student that they already interact with this stuff daily without realising it. That moment of recognition "wait, I actually use this?" is incredibly powerful for breaking down resistance to the subject. If I'm being honest, extremely abstract proofs can be a tougher sell on a slow morning, but that's also where I've learned to be most creative. Finding the right angle to make something click, even for the driest topic, is a challenge I genuinely enjoy.

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

  Yes and interestingly, it was both the brilliant teachers and the poor ones who shaped me most. I had a math teacher early on who made me feel like I simply "wasn't a math person." That label stuck with me for years and did real damage. But later, I encountered someone who was patient, enthusiastic, and absolutely convinced that anyone could do math with the right guidance. That teacher changed my trajectory completely and taught me that how you make a student feel about themselves matters just as much as the content you deliver. I carry both of those experiences into every session. One reminds me of the harm an educator can do without realising it; the other sets the standard I hold myself to every single day.

• 4) What qualities are required to be a good tutor?

  Patience, obviously! But the one that gets consistently underestimated is empathy. You have to genuinely remember what it felt like to not understand something, to feel stuck and frustrated and convinced you're the only one who doesn't get it. A great tutor meets students exactly where they are, without judgment and without making them feel behind. Beyond that, adaptability is essential no two students learn the same way, and rigidly sticking to one method is a sure way to lose someone. Throw in real enthusiasm for the subject and a decent sense of humour, and you've got the recipe. Learning is faster when students are relaxed, and nothing relaxes a room like laughter.

• 5) A valuable anecdote related to your subject or school days

  During my own studies, I once sat staring at a problem for what felt like hours completely stuck, convinced I'd hit a wall. I gave up for the evening, went out with friends, came back the next morning and solved it in two minutes. That experience fundamentally changed how I approach difficulty, and it's something I now share with every student I work with. Struggling with a problem doesn't mean you're failing, it means your brain is processing. Math anxiety is real, but it's also temporary, and pushing through it is a skill in itself. I remind students of that regularly, especially in the moments when they're ready to give up, because those are often the moments they're closest to understanding.

• 6) What difficulties or challenges have you faced in your subject?

  The biggest challenge is math phobia, and it is stubborn. Some students arrive so convinced they "can't do math" that the first few sessions are less about equations and more about dismantling years of negative self-belief. That's an almost psychological kind of work, and it requires as much creativity and patience as any technical explanation. My approach is to engineer early wins, starting with problems a student can solve, building momentum, and gradually raising the difficulty before they even realise it's happening. By the time we hit the hard material, their confidence has caught up with their ability. It doesn't work overnight, but it works.

• 7) Do you have a particular passion?

  Absolutely, it's that specific moment when a student's face changes. The furrowed brow relaxes, the eyes light up, and they say "OH. I get it." Four years in and that moment still hasn't got old. More broadly, I'm passionate about dismantling the idea that intelligence is fixed — that some people are simply "math people" and others aren't. That belief holds so many students back unnecessarily. With the right support and the right approach, everyone can not only understand math but genuinely enjoy it. Proving that, one student at a time, is what drives me.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof?

  (Besides heroically answering these questions, of course 😄) What I bring that's genuinely rare is perspective from both sides of the table. I've been the student who dreaded every math class, and I've spent years developing the tools to help others out of that exact place. PhD-level subject knowledge means I can handle anything from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus, but more importantly, I know how to translate that knowledge into something a struggling student can actually use. I measure success in confidence built and concepts mastered, and I tailor every session to the individual in front of me. The subject knowledge gets you through the exam; the approach I bring changes how you see yourself as a learner.