Head of Department and Teacher of A level Psychology, Sociology and Criminology for 32 years. I have been an examiner for most exam boards. Experience, knowledge and the ability to help you to improve

Find out more about Peter

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

  I fell in love with the social sciences (Sociology, Psychology, Politics) when I was in sixth form. Until then I had been an average student, but when I chose to study social sciences at sixth form college my academic journey took off. Since then (1986) I have been studying and teaching the social sciences nonstop. I decided to move into private tutoring after 29 years in the classroom. It offers me more flexibility in my working life, whilst still being able to help young people to understand (and hopefully enjoy) the social sciences as much as I do. 


• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  Unlike some teachers, I do not teach only one or two subjects, I have taught (and continue to tutor) Psychology, Sociology, Criminology, Philosophy and Religious Studies. The link is that they are all to do with the human condition. I enjoy how they all look at the same issues but offer some very different and sometimes complimentary ways of understanding ourselves and the social world. I strongly believe that as a tutor and teacher you need to enjoy all the areas you teach however there are some topics, like statistical analysis, which are reasonably fun to discuss but don’t set my world alight!


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

  It would have to be both of my parents. My mother was a teacher, and clearly loved her job, and so was my father. In fact, he was the Head of Sociology at the college I studied at, so I suppose he has had more of an impact on my chosen subjects and career than I care to recognise! In terms of professional colleagues, I had one mentor at the start of my teaching career who combined covering the course content with lots of humour and fun. His students loved his classes. I realised that teaching these subjects can be intellectually interesting and also lots of fun. My mentor won a national award for his teaching, and I still think of him very fondly to this day (sadly he died a few years ago).


• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  You must be approachable. This means being relaxed but also attentive to student needs. Be very knowledgeable but be able to communicate this knowledge effectively. You must have an excellent grasp of the course syllabus and how to help students achieve high marks. Be organised, for both you and your tutee.


• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I’ll never forget a lecturer for my first degree. No one could take any notes from his lecturers, it was just impossible! But his lectures were fascinating and fully engaged the whole room. I learnt that sometimes you have to be a little different in how you approach a subject to really engage students. Following a prescriptive formula (that sadly some teachers tend to do) will reduce enjoyment and engagement, even if students have lovely looking notes.


• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject? 


  Psychology, in particular, is a rapidly changing subject with new areas, topics and theories being developed all the time. Keeping on top of current research trends is challenging, but important.

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I am very lucky, because I love teaching in general (my MA is in Education) and I love my subjects. As soon as I started teaching the social sciences I knew that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. I have also been fortunate to enjoy the introduction of IT into teaching and learning, so that using IT as a key part of learning and for course delivery is also something I find rewarding.

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8) What makes you a Superprof?

  I am very student focused. I like to know exactly what a student wants from me and then I also like finding the gaps in their understanding, especially those that they may not have been aware of. Being able to explicitly help students to improve their marks using my many years of teaching and examining experience makes my tutoring effective and efficient. Plus it helps that I am dynamic and engaging, which hopefully makes each session rewarding and useful.