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Elaine says

I have 7 years of tuition teaching experience in all primary levels, thus i am very familiar with the school syllabus and i know what are the requirements for each level, each subject for the student to focus on in order to excel well.

My achievements are,

Year 2008

1. Primary 4 student who had a failing grade in her Science scored 80 marks for her next exam.

2. Primary 6 student whom i coached for 2 years since primary 5 scored A* for his Science in PSLE year 2008. He is now in St Joseph Institute eligible for a special Science programme.

3. Primary 1 student who is weak in Chinese and had a failing grade for the subject scored 85 marks after a few months of tuition with me. Her other subjects improved from band 3 to band 2 and band 2 to band 1.

4. A foreign primary 1 student who had no basic foundation in Chinese scored from a failing grade to 90 marks for her next exam.

5. Other students of mine are improving their results from band 3 to band 2, and from band 2 to band 1.

Year 2009

1. All three primary 6 students scored A for their PSLE English.

2. Primary 2 student scored the highest for Chinese in her class and full marks for Math in the CA2 examination. She maintained her results for final year examination and got awarded the Good Progress Award.

3. Another primary 2 student scored from 60+ marks to 80+ for her Chinese.

4. Kindergarten 1 student who had weak Chinese foundation improved a lot for the language as commented by his school MT teacher.

5. Primary 4 student scored Band 1 for his English and Math in final year examination.

StarTutor's Review

Elaine enjoys working with young children. Their innocence and adorable faces never fail to put a smile on her face. Her love for young children has also landed her in a teaching job at a childcare centre previously, and hence she is very experienced in handling young children. She enjoys coaching them, and finds great joy in seeing them make progress under her guidance.

Elaine specializes in all subjects for Primary school, namely English, Mathematics, Science and Chinese. She has been giving home tuition for 6 years, and is very familiar with the current MOE syllabus for all these subjects. Using this to her advantage, Elaine is able to spot the trend in examinations and thus prepares students well by exposing them to a variety of possible examination questions. Elaine feels that through this, she is able to build up the confidence of her students, as well as training them to study smart, not just hard.

Elaine helps students who are academically stronger to stretch even further and obtain better grades by allowing them to practise challenging questions of a higher level. She guides such students by teaching them to think from a different angle to solve higher-level questions, and also introduces more problem solving techniques if they are able to cope with it. Elaine is also very familiar in teaching ‘Model Diagrams’ which is an essential problem solving technique for primary school Mathematics. She shared with us that ‘Model Diagrams’ are essential for weaker students, especially since they are unable to visualize word problems. Elaine makes use of these diagrams to help the student visualize better, and slowly trains them so that they will be able to adopt this technique on their own eventually.

Overall, Elaine is aware of the weaknesses and problems that most primary school students face, and is quick to remedy these as soon as she is aware of them. Her familiarity with the school syllabus will definitely give her students an edge over the rest.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Cady, Weichao, Gavin), 18 April 2009

2008 Bachelor (Murdoch University)
Bachelor of Commerce in Management

2006 Diploma (Ngee Ann Polytechnic)
Diploma in Quality Management and Engineering

I am a full time tutor and can start tuition immediately.

Teaching level and subjects
	Primary/ PSLE English, Chinese, Maths, Science

Ivy says

12 Years of tutoring experience. Best in teaching Chinese and Maths due to academic background and strong family influence/interest. Experienced in teaching 1-to-1 home tuitions and small groups of 2-5 students in tuition centre and homes

Taught a Sec 3 NA Malay/Chi boy Mandarin in an innovative way using historic romance of 3 kingdom characters, computers and online dictionary and translators to help him stir up interest in the subject.

A private O level student had borderline problems in E Maths previously but was now able to do 80-90% of the questions correctly (less the careless mistakes). He was motivated as I always encourage him to push himself when others may bring him down by saying that he may not be able to achieve. After all, my students are young teenagers, they still have time and good opportunities to excel so I hope to lead them in the correct direction. Some students can feel lost when choosing courses during Sec 2 or Sec 4, I have always advised them to pursue their dreams. They also need a lot of moral support from the people around them as well.

A sec 3 Express student had problems in A maths (logarithms) and after 1 session, she was able to solve all of them for her class test.

A sec 2 NA boy passed his Sci test (first time in Secondary) with just 1 lesson prior test date. I recommend consistencies as this is not a good habit for all students as they may rely on tutors too much during test period. My goal is to help students equip the skills and mentality to want solve problems themselves independently.

Also another best subject - Maths, due to the ability and passion in solving and challenging problem sums. Have local and foreign students hence able to translate to other languages (Chi, Eng, Cantonese) for easier comprehension.

Patient (taught 5students (Pri/Sec) with attention deficiencies), have creative and encouraging methods to assist them improve in the subjects as I need to get their attention and make the subject interesting so that they look forward to the next lesson. I take pride in managing and understanding the students' and parents' needs to excel further. It will definitely be better when parents are able to share more about the student's habits, likes and dislikes, attitude as it really helps to create a more engaging and fruitful lesson. I will be strict if students fail to complete homework and will relate this to parents.

I share some real life experiences (when appropriate) with the students to expand their general knowledge and reward them adequately for their efforts too. I've students either 1 to 1 or 1 to small groups of 2-5students. I also tutor foreign students living in Singapore (from Germany, China, Macau, Korea) . Parents like my service and attitude as I frequently update and discuss about their children's progress, weaknesses, ways to improve - not only their on the scoreboard but also in building up the good morales in an individual. Parents are also impressed by my commitment level in moulding students in their academic front as well as characteristics and personalities as a whole as I make it a point to always guide the students from wrong to right (eg. during cases of lying, cheating, copying, truancy, impoliteness, etc). Some students refer my service to their peers and are the real life references themselves.

StarTutor's Review

Ivy is a very professional and committed teacher. Her passion for teaching has led her to leave the corporate world in Feb 2009 to teach full time, and she already has plans to upgrade herself further in NIE and take up a full-time teaching career in future. Ivy was supposed to become a full-time Chinese teacher through MOE upon graduation from Temasek Polytechnic, but she chose not to as being a full-time Chinese teacher at that time would mean that she will not be able to teach other subjects which she has interest in, namely Mathematics and Science. Due to recent changes in MOE, Ivy will finally be able to teach all the subjects that she is passionate about, hence the decision to become a full-time teacher.

During lessons, Ivy not only tries to help students achieve better grades, she also tries to instil in them the correct values and attitude to nurture them into all-rounded individuals. For instance, she educates students who are inattentive by telling them that their parents are actually using their hard-earned money to pay for their tuition, and that it is their responsibility to study hard and not take their kindness for granted. She does not want her students to just simply go through the motion, but instead, she wants them to realize that whatever they are doing is for their own good, and for the sake of their own future. Ivy also makes it a point to set basic foundations right. Basic skills such as writing neatly would need to be cultivated from a young age and is crucial in character building.

When handling younger children, Ivy usually spends more time talking with them initially to try to make them feel more comfortable and to gain their trust. She is aware that younger children generally take a longer time to adapt to strangers, and thus, she does not want to spoil the child’s first impression of her by being too stern. She firmly believes that the learning potential of the child will be at its peak only when mutual trust between the tutor and the child has been built up. Ivy is also stern, only when there is a need to.

All in all, Ivy wants to help students who are already good to be even better, and aid weaker students to achieve realistic improvements. She makes it a point to communicate with parents to understand the child better, as well as to update the parents on the child’s progress. We believe that Ivy’s passion in teaching will certainly touch the heart of many of her students in future.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Cady, Weichao, Gavin), 18 April 2009

2004 Bachelor (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia, Melbourne)
Bachelor of Business (Computing)

2001 Diploma (Temasek Polytechnic)
Diploma in Information Technology

- Trinity College London certification
- Guildhall School of Music and Drama certification
- Australian Mathematics Competition

I believe that time management and patience is very important and I will plan my schedules ahead. Will try to get different schools' exam papers for students' revision if required. Always try to complete stipulated tasks planned during the session so that the students can be on the track of improvement. This also requires the student to co-operate by finishing given tuition work, but will also discuss the workload if he/she has problems. I believe that self discipline in finishing the work can help push the limits of the student.

Able to provide extra tuition during school holidays or exam periods (upon request or I may communicate with the parents if I feel the student really needs a lot more) as those are the most crucial or best times for students to catch up on their studies N be ahead of others.

I'll make sure that the student learns and enjoys each lesson so that the teacher-student relationship can be enhanced, as it assists me in getting the student more engaged during lesson - the student listens and asks, which is more productive.Tuition is conducted in various ways, be it from books, assessments, through conversations, impromptu QnAs as students have different abilities to adapt to the the various teaching.

I will do my best to come up with the most appropriate teaching method for each student and discuss with the parents too. I will provide feedback to parents/guardians constantly, either verbally or over sms.

For secondary school students, I think sharing…

Teaching level and subjects
	Primary/ PSLE English, Chinese, Maths, Science
	Secondary/ O level Chinese, Maths, E Maths, A Maths, Geography, Science, Physics/Chem
	University Information Systems, Computer Sci, Operations Mgmt
	Computer Skills Web Design, Windows, Office

LeRain says

Am commissioned by an upcoming music school to do a complete 3 years program of curriculum and syllabus planning. The 2nd year is completed.

9 years experience in teaching chinese at primary & secondary school level and piano till grade 8. Also an assistant choral instructor and experienced in accompaniment for single line instruments for exams such as violin.

Attached to Gramercy Music School (Holland V) as a piano teacher for 9 years and on-going. Able to teach basic, intermediate pop drumming, jazz theory, jazz piano, pop piano and music composition other than usual classical practical and theory.

There will be an annual recital for all my students and it will be counted as one lesson. Students will get to play on a grand piano in an auditorium or recital hall.

Very experienced with kids as well as teenagers and adults. Emphasis is on cultivating the individual's interest in piano and music or mandarin language.

Chinese subject focus is Creative writing. My student with me for 9 years who hated the chinese language and did not mind failing or hanging around the border developed a keen interest in it as she grew older. Now she speaks fluent chinese, able to read both modern and olden day chinese writings and also able to watch chinese series or movies without subtitles and have no problems in understanding the show anymore. She is now in sec 4.

All my students are motivated to achieve Merit and Distincition in both Theory and Practical. Piano includes extensive repetoire other than usual 3 exam pieces only.

Jazz and Pop lessons are by per lesson. $50 per hr, learning how to play from lead sheets and various grooves. Materials are provided.

Learning how to play jazz and pop through clearly notated scores and not lead sheets have same charges as classical piano.

StarTutor's Review

LeRain is a confident and genuine person. She is an expertise in the Music field. She knows the different available exams (ABRSM, Trinity etc) for piano and their respective pros and cons. Thus, you can easily trust her to recommend the most suitable exam for your child to undertake.

She specializes at teaching Piano, both practical and theory with students ranging from Beginner to Grade 8, age ranging from 5 – 30 plus years old (Young child – Adult). She is able to analyze every student and come up with customized teaching method.

For younger children aged 7 and below, she feels that 30 minutes will be the maximum attention span and will not recommend anything beyond that. She interacts with the parents often to update them about their child’s progress, strengths and weaknesses in order to bring the best out of the child with the parents’ assistance.

For beginners, she teaches posture and introduction to the piano keys on the first lesson as she knows that the basic is always the most important key to proceed to higher levels. Although theories for Grade 5 and above are not compulsory, LeRain encourages her students to not only complete Grade 8 Practical, but also theory, to be a true qualified pianist. She loves to assist her musically talented students to go against their limits for greater achievements.

With her vast experience, LeRain is able to get suitable material for her students. She uses the age of the student as a gauge. For young children, colorful books filled with pictures will be suitable to capture their attention and arouse their interest whereas for adults, a typical book will be of better use.

Being a Full-Time Piano home-tutor and a Part-Time Piano tutor at Gramercy Music School, LeRain keeps herself updated with changes occurring in the Music field. She is patient yet firm when needed and believes that hard work will be accompanied with rewards.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Xuehui, Fangling and Elvin), 20th May 2008

2010 Music (ABRSM)
Diploma of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, Principles of Instrumental Teaching (Piano)

2007 Diploma (Laselle College of the Arts)
Diploma of Higher Education

2007 Diploma (Lasalle College of the Arts)
Diploma in Music

2007 Music (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music)
Grade 8 Theory of Music

2003 Diploma (Singapore Polytechnic)
Diploma in Multimedia Software Engineering

2003 Music (Country Manna Restaurant)
Letter of Appreciation and Commendation for Piano Performance at Suntec City and Changi Airport Terminal One Country Manna Restaurants

2001 Music (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music)
Grade 8 Piano

1999 GCE O (Chung Cheng High School (Main))
English Language (B3), Geography (A2), Mathematics (A2), Additional Mathematics (B3), Physics (C5), Chemistry (B4), Higher Chinese (B3), Chinese (A2)

1998 GCE O (Chung Cheng High School (Main))
Chinese (A1), Chinese (Oral/Aural) (Distinction)

Higher Diploma in Music (Jazz Compositon) awarded by Lasalle & Open Uk
Diploma in Music (Jazz Composition)awarded by Lasalle

Diploma in Multimedia Technology (Software Engineering), Singapore Polytechnic

O Levels(Chung Cheng High School Main), CL1(A1), HCL(B3), ENG (B3), Chinese Literature(A2), Geography(A2), EMaths(A2), AMaths(B3), Chemistry(B4), Physics(C5)

It is important for the parent to understand that music and arts take long time to reap results. The parent has to play their part in motivating their own kid and not pressuring them for getting the piece of paper.

The parent must understand that different child has different rate of learning. I do not believe in stupidity as that has been the moto of my teachers. Hardwork will be able to surpass talent.

Kids with me for a long period do gain higher level of confidence. What I do to help them is also to develop good virtues and values in the long term.

Once a kid is with me, I'll try my best to cultivate his/her interest, help them to teach themselves the skills requires for a life long ability to appreciate music.

Teaching level and subjects
	International Baccalaureate Music
	Music Piano, Drum
	Computer Skills Photoshop, Illustrator, 3D Design, Flash, Web Design, Windows

Lawrenz says

I have extensive experience in teaching and coaching students ranging from ages of 6 to 16 from year 2002 to present. Assignments range from one-on-one tuition for voluntary community services to group tuition classes in Church to helping neighbourhood youths in the community basketball teams that I have coached.

I specialise in teaching English and Thought Process Coaching. As English is the instruction medium through which other subjects are taught, establishing a sound foundation in English is therefore crucial. I believe that English is learnt through continual reinforcement by listening, reading, writing and speaking. Thought Process coaching enhances the flow of the language and strengthens the student's expression of ideas and concepts in essays as well as non-lingual subjects. Having a clear and creative thought process can also benefit the students in navigating through life's many obstacles. To further enhance my expertise, I have read and applied extensively and effectively from child/youth psychology books and have also been certified a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Master Life Coach from the University of NLP and The American Board of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

A recent 2009/2010 'O' Levels graduate student of mine did me proud by achieving a B3 grade, up from a C6 despite coming to me with one month left to the final examinations. However, I do still think that a higher grade could be achieved had there been more time.

StarTutor's Review

Lawrenz has 6 years of tutoring experience and currently an undergraduate with UniSIM, pursuing his degree in Bachelor of Science in Finance. Other than being a student, Lawrenz is also a Certified Master Life Coach and a Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Using what he has learnt as a life coach and a NLP trainer, he has helped many of his tutees not only to achieve better academic results, but also motivate them for the betterment of themselves. He specializes in English and History.

Lawrenz is a dedicated tutor who tailors makes his teaching method based on the learning styles of each individual tutee. He employs a simple Visual-Audio-Kinesthetic (VAK) test to find out whether the student learns best through pictures, sounds or by hands-on work. Lawrenz will then adapt his teaching methods to the student, ensuring that they are able to absorb what they are taught to the best of their capabilities. Lawrenz is also well equipped with the skill set on how to solve questions in critical thinking subjects such as History, being well versed in thought flow and problem-based learning.

Other than being an effective tutor, Lawrenz is also very amiable and believes in building a good rapport with his students. He encourages a two way channel through feedback with parents, ensuring that he is doing his best for their child. Lawrenz is seen as a valuable mentor to many of his students as he is keen to impart to his students lifelong skills that help them academically and their personal well being.

Lawrenz is an academic coach who believes that learning is synonymous with life, where both are fraught with challenges. He seeks to be that extra boost to surmount a challenge, that positive reminder of a milestone achievement and most gratifying of it all, to be that smile of encouragement and pat on the back when the fruits are ripe to be savoured.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Arthur, Jerry, Weichao), 4 July 2010

2004 Diploma (Temasek Polytechnic)
Diploma in Electronics

1998 GCE O (Siglap Secondary School)
English Language (B3), History (C6), Mathematics (C5), Science (Phy/Chem) (C6), Art (C6), Principles of Accounts (B3), Chinese Language (B4), Chinese Language (Oral/Aural) (Merit)

Currently a Bachelor of Science in Finance undergraduate with UniSIM.

Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Certified Master Life Coach recognised by the NLP University (non-accredited, but recognised training institute for NLP training.) and The American Board of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

I can start immediately and will be able to commit with my students for the next 3 years.

Teaching level and subjects
	Primary/ PSLE English, Maths, Science, Creative Writing
	Secondary/ O level English, History, Literature, Social Studies
	Language English
	Computer Skills Photoshop, Windows, Office

Yong Le says

I have enjoyed learning maths and science subjects since young. This certainly would not have been possible if not for the guidance of passionate and inspiring teachers I met during my years of education. I have over 6 years of tutoring experience, and I would not have kept going if not for the fact that I enjoy teaching. I have taught numerous students, and I also have been giving class tuition for over 2 years now, and I am happy to say that it has been a very rewarding and rich experience.

I am always very patient with my students, and when the student is slow in understanding, I like to use an alternative example to demonstrate the concept. I also explain in a very detailed and comprehensive manner, to link the concepts together and to allow the student to see its application in real life.

My preferred teaching method is for the student to directly ask me questions that he has accumulated over the past week. In this way, I can look at his working, understand where the error is, and explain the concepts accordingly. I always believe in the need to understand rather than rote learning, therefore I always focus on the concepts, and not so much the methodology (exact steps) of solving the question. I ensure that the student understands the concepts that are brought across, by using examples, and setting questions, to test and to allow the student to apply the concepts. I encourage the students to ask questions, and also to stop me anytime as well. Therefore, my teaching style is interactive, giving the student questions and guiding him along as he attempts the problem. Along the way, I will also point out pertinent points in presenting the working/solution fully and clearly, and to address common errors that are often committed. After understanding the concepts, the student is encouraged to practice questions on his own. Practice always makes perfect.

I believe that learning, just like tutoring, can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience as well.

StarTutor's Review

Yong Le is an experienced tutor. Having 8 years of experience in private tuition and tuition centre teaching, his confidence can be felt immediately. He was asked to explain academic concepts to us during the interview and we found his teaching to be concise and effective. Holding a Bachelor in Engineering, Yong Le’s confidence comes not only from his experience but his qualification as well.

Based on his past experience, he believes that pure academic teaching does not fully benefit the students’ learning. Instead, motivation is an important factor in driving the students’ learning interest.

Yong Le is an easy-going and influential tutor. With his optimism, he infects his students with his positive attitude. This helps the student to increase their confidence in overcoming difficult academic problems.

When it comes to teaching, he is guides his student to divide the problem into step-by-step questions. Next, he gets his student to think around these guided questions. He ensures that the student grasp the principles through these active thinking. He also goes into great detail during teaching so the student reaps the full benefit of it.

Every student is different and Yong Le will find out the concepts that the student is weak in. He then goes back to the root cause of problem that hinders the student’s learning. After understanding the student, he will specifically address the student’s concern and remove the limiting factor.

Satisfaction is what drives Yong Le to continue teaching for the past 8 years. He is happy when his students understand and appreciate his teaching. With such a positive attitude, we believe that Yong Le will continue to be a successful tutor in the future.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Fangling, Xuehui and Weichao), 20th May 2008

2007 Bachelor (National University of Singapore)
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), First Class Honours

2000 GCE A (National Junior College)
Mathematics (A), Mathematics S Paper (Distinction), Further Mathematics (A), Physics (A), Physics S Paper (Distinction), Chemistry (A), General Paper (B4), Chinese (B3), Chinese(Oral/Aural) (Merit)

1998 GCE O (Bukit Panjang Govt. High School)
English Language (B3), Geography (A1), Mathematics (A1), Additional Mathematics (A1), Physics (A1), Chemistry (A1), Biology (A1), Chinese (A1), Chinese(Oral/Aural) (Merit)

1998 Others (Bukit Panjang Govt. High School)
Achievement Award for Representing the School in Mathematics and Winning an Award in 1998

1998 Others (Bukit Panjang Govt. High School)
Service Award for Dedicated Service Rendered as Training Officer, Science & Technology Team from 1997 to 1998

I can start asap.

Teaching level and subjects
	Secondary/ O level Maths, E Maths, A Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Physics/Chem
	Junior College/ A level Maths

Kai Wen says

I have taught a JC2 arts student on GP, Lit, Econs and History with a focus on the former two subjects. from a C6 in GP she managed to get a B3 and attained a good improvement award from the school. She attained AAB for Lit, History, Econs and a B in GP.

Currently tutoring several other students mostly in English/GP.

Otherwise, my experience most is pretty informal, largely involving socratic dialogue with my peers and others regarding the general subjects of the humanities and social sciences. i like to take a multi-disciplinary approach, as well as simplifying obscure concepts by using quirky and apt analogies to explain. I supplement my tuition with anecdotes about life, fancy bits of general knowledge, and snippets of otherwise useful information.

For example, i like to quote Nietzsche with aplomb "Three varieties of thinkers. There are streaming, flowing, trickling mineral springs, and three corresponding varieties of thinkers. The layman values them by the volume of the water, the expert by the contents of the water - in other words, by the elements in them that are not water"

StarTutor's Review

Ang Kai Wen is a very self-driven and motivated young man. Despite his tender age, he has proven himself to be mature in thought and is capable of giving quality tuition. Kai Wen’s personal aim is to take a step further and prove to himself that he has an edge over the rest. He is confident that his unique method of teaching would benefit his students and help them achieve better grades.

Kai Wen specializes in coaching English, General Paper, and other humanities subjects such as Literature, History, and Social Studies. During Kai Wen’s lessons, he encourages his students to think critically and take into account more possible concepts and theories before drawing any particular conclusion. As most of the subjects that he teaches involve essay writing, Kai Wen always sets aside discussion time with his students as this would generate more thoughts and ideas that would aid in essay writing.

Kai Wen also trains his students to think from other perspectives. He does not want his students’ thoughts to be confined to just a single viewpoint. This is especially important for General Paper, a subject that requires a lot of thinking and solid presentation of ideas. For this subject, Kai Wen will provide his students with relevant materials to widen their interdisciplinary knowledge. He also encourages students to share their opinions, and not just accept whatever he tells them. In fact, he loves it when students rebut his viewpoints as it shows him something – that his student is becoming more confident and improving under his guidance!

Kai Wen also understands that some students are genuinely weaker than the rest, and thus alternative methods will need to be adopted to get them moving. For these students, he manipulates things that the student are interested in and tries to relate them to the subject to make it more appealing. For instance, he would make use of games and movies to relate to the topic that he is teaching. This method will allow students to absorb knowledge sub-consciously and slowly, they will also start to develop more interest in the subject.

Kai Wen enjoys fencing, and is currently in the SMU Fencing Team. As a SMU Law student-to-be, Kai Wen’s strong grounding in History, Literature, and General Paper definitely puts him in an ideal position to provide proper guidance to his students.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Cady, Weichao, Gavin), 18 April 2009

2006 GCE A (Catholic Junior College)
English Literature (A), English Literature S Paper (Merit), History (A), Economics (A), General Paper (A1)

Rising Third Year Student in SMU doing a double degree Bachelor of Laws &amp Social Sciences

Given that my workload as a double-degree student is immense, my time is rather limited when it comes to tuition.

As such, i will be focusing only on key subjects in which i feel most comfortable and am extremely confident in teaching, at a level which encourages more two-way participation rather than just one-way teaching, that is, JC Level. This will facilitate the learning process and ease some of the burden off me.

If there are more than one students interested, i would prefer group tuition especially for either History or Literature as group discourse and learning from multiple sources is GREATLY DESIRED for either subject, however this is purely optional.

Teaching level and subjects
	Secondary/ O level English, History, Literature
	Junior College/ A level General Paper, History, Literature
	International Baccalaureate Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge
	University Law

Timothy says

The medicore teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. - William Arthur Ward Timothy Leow

I am a very passionate and committed teacher. I am currently an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, pursuing my degree in Business (Administration). Other than being an academic student, I am also a magician and entrepreneur. Using what I have learnt from my various life experiences, I have not only helped many of my tutees achieve better grades in school, but also inspired them to become better persons in life.

I specialize in math and economics. However, I am also able to teach other subjects. I am a highly sought-after tutor and is ranked within the top 50 tutors in Startutor a leading tuition agency in Singapore. I adopt a three pronged approach * Variety of teaching methods * Rapport with tutee * Accountability to parents I freely adapt my teaching methods to tailor to the different learning styles of my tutees. I employ a simple Visual-Audio-Kinesthetic test to find out whether the student learns best through pictures, sounds or by hands-on work. I will then ascertain the tutees strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring that he/she will be able to retain what is being taught.

I strive to achieve more by doing less. This is done by educating my tutees on effective study techniques and how to be exam smart. I understand that some tutees are initially shy and take some time to get warmed up. During the lesson, I will interact with them to get them to feel more comfortable and to gain their trust. I firmly believe that the learning potential in each child can be harnessed only when mutual trust between the tutor and tutee is established.

Lastly, I consistently communicate with the tutees parents to understand the tutee better, as well as to update the parents on the tutees progress and to ensure them that I am doing the best for their child. I also seek the parents advice when I intend to experiment with a new studying technique or find out more about the childs behavior.

Knowing that I have made an impact in someones life is what drives me to continue to teach. I am delighted when my students understand and appreciate my efforts. With a positive attitude, I believe that I will continue make a difference in the lives of my students!

StarTutor's Review

Timothy Leow is an extremely driven and passionate tutor possessing a maturity which belies his youth. He has experience in teaching a wide range of students from Primary, Secondary and JC levels.

Timothy adopts the usage of a VAK (Visual-Audio-Kinesthetic) test to determine each student's learning style. He then customizes his teaching approach according to each individual's needs, a unique quality which sets his lessons apart from that of other tutors.

Timothy is adept at teaching a variety of subjects, however, his specialization would be in the area of Mathematics, where he is exceptionally confident of imparting his knowledge to all levels (Primary, Secondary and JC - H1 and H2 Math). For Junior College Tutees, he has a 100% track record in improving the results of students weak in Math, and has the know-how and foresight to accurately spot the type of questions which will appear in exams – A qualities which will certainly come in handy for many students.

Outside of tutoring, Timothy is a skilled magician who enjoys captivating audiences with his many tricks and feats. Brimming with positivity and enthusiasm, Timothy will not only guide his students to superb results, but also inspire them to reach even greater heights.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Jerry and Arthur), 19 March 2011

2008 GCE A (Anglo-Chinese Junior College)
H1 General Paper (B), H1 Geography (B), H2 Economics (A), H2 Mathematics (A), H2 Computing (A)

2007 GCE A (Anglo-Chinese Junior College)
H1 Project Work (B)

2006 GCE O (St. Joseph's Institution)
English Language (B3), Combined Humanities (A1), Geography (A2), Mathematics (A1), Additional Mathematics (A1), Physics (B3), Chemistry (A2), Higher Chinese Language

2005 GCE O (St. Joseph's Institution)
Chinese Language (A1), Chinese Language (Oral/Aural) (Distinction)

2002 PSLE (De La Salle Primary School)
English Language (A), Chinese Language (A*), Mathematics (A*), Science (A), Higher Chinese Language (Pass)

I can start asap and stay committed till 2014.

Teaching level and subjects

Yen Ling(Via Skype) says

Why do I enjoy teaching and learning Chinese? The reason does not lie with me being a native speaker, but because I love Chinese. My passion is to share the beauty of the language to everyone.

I have been teaching Chinese in Singapore for more than two years. The very first student I had was studying at K2 at that time. He comes from Indonesia, and he is from an English speaking family. Despite having three Chinese lessons a week in kindergarten, he was still unable to speak Mandarin confidently during the first month of lessons with me. I always try to make the lessons fun. I read poems, sing with him, and play games to encourage him to speak up more. Before the end of each lesson, I will make it a point to read a Chinese storybook together with him. Now, not only does he converse in Mandarin with me, he also does the same with his family. In fact, Chinese became one of his best subjects when he progressed to Primary 1. To date, I have taught more than three primary school students.

Besides school students, I also have two adult students. One of them is a local Singaporean lady, while the other is a French gentleman. The local lady used to learn Chinese back in Secondary school, but she never had the chance to practise the language as no one speaks Mandarin in her family. However, she feels that as a Chinese, there is a need for her to know the language, and furthermore she needed it to converse with her grandmother-in-law. I started the first lesson with her about six months ago. Initially, she could only speak a little Mandarin coupled with a few English words, and she could hardly recognize any Chinese characters. Now, she is much more confident with her language abilities and was even able to comprehend newspaper articles and write a full Chinese essay. During the 6 month period when I was teaching the French gentleman, I could tell that he enjoyed the lessons very much, especially when he attempted to converse in Mandarin with me using basic phrases that were taught!

I was not satisfied with my Chinese language capabilities, and felt that that there was more to be done to improve and upgrade myself further. This is especially so if I intend to provide top-notch Chinese education to my students. Hence, I decided to sign up for the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) Teachers Training Course from HSK Centre, and successfully completed it in November 2008. I also attained a Diploma in Teaching Chinese Language from Confucius Institute, Nanyang Technological University in February 2009. As a Chinese teacher, I thought that must appraise own Chinese proficiency, therefore I have registered for Chinese proficiency test(HSK), and obtains the grade A at the advanced level.

I look forward to sharing the beauty of this language to more students in future, and I hope you would give this language a chance tool.

StarTutor's Review

Yen Ling is a Chinese language specialist and a qualified HSK teacher. She has taught a variety of foreign students in the past few years. With her outstanding ability to teach the language, she was able to help her students score well, be it local, or HSK examinations.

To Yen Ling, responsibility and commitment are the most important traits that a tutor should have. She believes that teaching is a difficult job, and should never be taken lightly as the student’s future is at stake. As such, she is always committed and responsible for the assignments that she takes up, and always aims to commit for long term whenever it is possible.

Yen Ling is also a firm and focused lady. She takes pride in her profession, and feels that there should always be mutual respect between the tutor and the student.

Yen Ling adopts different teaching methods to suit different students. Generally, for younger students, she tends to follow the school syllabus while for adult students, she focuses on other aspects that are required be it conversational Chinese, writing, or reading. For students who show no interest in the subject, Yen Ling tries to make the lessons more interesting by introducing games and other interactive activities.

Apart from teaching, Yen Ling enjoys playing badminton, watching movies, as well as spending time with her precious family during her free time. She feels that it is important to strike a balance between work and relaxation. Only then, will she able to continue to deliver her best for all her lessons.

Her focused and result-oriented approach is the key in helping students improve their grades. Her qualifications and vast experience with many foreign students are proof of her competence in the language.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Cady, Weichao, Gavin), 18 April 2009

2009 Diploma (Nanyang Technological University)
Diploma in Teaching Chinese Language

2009 Others (The State Commission of the Chinese Proficiency Test)
Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), Grade A at Advanced Level

2008 Others (The Office of Chinese Language Council International, China)
Certificate of Completion of Training Program for teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (with Honours)

2008 Others (Shandong University, China)
Certification of Completion of Chinese Course

2008 Others (HSK Centre)
Teacher's Training Course (Teaching Enhancement)

2005 Others (China Language Institute, Taiwan)
Certificate for completion of Training Course in the teaching of Chinese as a Foreign Language

1996 Diploma (Ching Yun University, Taiwan)
Diploma in Electronic Engineering

- Ping Zhen Junior High School, Taiwan, 1991
- De Long Primary School, Taiwan, 1988

I can start asap. I am currently living in Taiwan. I will have lesson via SKYPE. I have a Singapore lady who using this way, and it works pretty well. If necessary, i'll send you the content before the lesson. Thank you!

Teaching level and subjects
	Primary/ PSLE Chinese
	Language Chinese

Mathslover says

I believe every child is talented in their own way.

As the saying goes 'Slow and steady wins the race', I do not attempt to accelerate progress incessantly while disregarding the negative effects on the student. A test's objective is to find out how much the student already knows at a certain stage of the learning process. If a student revises for a test, he may appear bright on paper, but continue to be confused over certain aspects of the subject. This confusion will not be picked up by the teacher, as it is not apparent from the test results. As a result of that, no further help is rendered to the student, causing him to remain confused. On the other hand, if the student appears for a test unprepared, he'll be able to give the teacher a true idea of what he already knows (knowledge stored in long term memory) and the teacher will be in a better position to render any assistance where necessary.

Mathematics is a subject where understanding and application presides over pure memory work. It is intertwined in everyday life, from counting out change to determining the best way to share a cake, we use mathematics daily. I seek to help students understand that the learning time is not restricted to school hours or the hours spent with me. Neither are the learning tools restricted to books and worksheets. I teach using games, tricks, role play, and plenty of day-to-day examples. With the parent's permission, I sometimes plan age appropriate outings for my students, for them to see mathematics at work in the world we live in.

My ultimate aim for any student is to ignite their passion for mathematics, in order that they can help themselves in the long run. I do not believe that a tutor is for life, rather I hope all my students can emerge from under my wings as independent learners, with sufficient interest in the subject matter to pursue their own readings.

Having had over 100 students spanning the last 8 years (2002 - 2011), my students themselves are the best testimony to my teaching method.

I once taught a P6 girl who barely knew anything beyond the P2 syllabus. Using a series of games, experiments with toys, plenty of real life examples, explanations in her mother tongue, and peppering the lesson with encouragement and praise, she has managed to catch up the work over just 8 months, and proceed to pass PSLE with a C grade in math.

I have another student whom I remembered clearly because the tuition setting was very informal. The student was an ardent player of the game MapleStory, and I knew him through the game. We would go on virtual adventures together. He approached me one day complaining about the lack of time to his O levels, and his 'dismal grade' for prelims. I then agreed to help where math is concerned. Speaking through virtual chat can be challenging when it comes to topics like geometry and calculus, then we will have plenty of fun drawing symbols on MSN handwriting chat. I never met up with the student in real life until after his O levels, when he proudly declared his success in the game world MapleStory, and dedicated some virtual items to me. Today, he has a diploma in maritime engineering and works for the Navy.

This year, I have a P6 student who is dyslexic and has mild ADHD. Unlike his peers, he doesn't use the calculator at all because he was 'too lazy to press the buttons'. When it comes to problem sums that require more than 3 steps, he'll forget what he has done, and seem to get stuck in the infinite loop of going through steps 1 to 3 over and over again. To help him overcome this problem, I encourage him to write down statements for every single step he has done (vs writing down just the calculations, as is required by schools). Despite the lengthy explanations I require for each step, and the time taken to count everything by hand, he has amazed me that he could finish the entire Paper 2 (P6 CA1) within the stipulated time, and obtained 12 more marks than his P5 SA2!

StarTutor's Review

A tremendously experienced tutor, Teo Lian Choon has accumulated more then 8 years of teaching experience and has a history of tutoring over a hundred students. She is a graduate from NTU with a Bachelor of Accountancy and is currently living her passion for teaching by working as a full-time tuition teacher.

Her expertise lies in the field of Mathematics, specifically focusing on Upper Primary and Secondary level Math. Being a very good motivator, Teo Lian Choon is able to galvanize and instill confidence in weaker pupils to grant them the innate belief and assurance that they can succeed in solving difficult questions as well as not to feel discouraged when they commit errors but instead to learn from these mistakes.

Teo Lian Choon also employs several innovative teaching methods. She uses custom made worksheets with questions extracted and amended from past examination papers. These worksheets are designed in a unique way to simulate a series of "games" to arouse student's interest in the subject. This serves to enliven the lesson and also gradually quicken the student's pace in learning.

Utilizing her vast amount of experience, and creative teaching style, Teo Lian Choon is capable of arousing student's interest in Mathematics and spur them on to actively self-study and attain better results. She believes that with enough effort, patience and guidance, achieving A grades is not impossible, hence her astute track record in improving all of her student's results. For students particularly weak in Mathematics, she would be a splendid choice as a tutor.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Jerry and Arthur), 19 March 2011

2006 Bachelor (Nanyang Technological University)
Bachelor of Accountancy (Merit) with a Minor in Chinese

2002 GCE A (Jurong Junior College)
Mathematics (A), Further Mathematics, Physics, General Paper (A2)

2001 SAT (The College Board)
Verbal (590), Math (790)

2001 GCE A (Jurong Junior College)
Chinese Language (A1), Chinese Language (Oral/Aural) (Distinction)

2000 GCE O (Nanyang Girls' High School)
English Language (B3), Mathematics (A1), Additional Mathematics (A2), Physics (B3), Chemistry (A2), Higher Chinese Language (B4), Chinese Literature (B3)

I will be away from Singapore for a period of 12 to 16 weeks in year 2014 (exact date unconfirmed). This must be clearly conveyed to students who will be taking their national exams in 2014 (P4, S2E or S3N in 2012) before a working relationship is established between us.

With the exception of CNY eve and the first 3 days of CNY, all lessons on public holidays as well as school holidays proceed as per normal, unless cancelled or rescheduled by the student.

I can start as soon as I have accepted an assignment.

From experience, some students will make last minute requests for many extra lessons (week before exam, for example). I do not guarantee they will always be fulfilled as I have many students and hence a packed timetable. This is especially so for national exams.

Students may choose to start next year's syllabus during the Dec holidays. However, there will be no lessons on the first week of Jan. This is to allow all existing students to sort out their new timetables and rearrange tuition schedule as needed.

Teaching level and subjects
	Primary/ PSLE Maths
	Secondary/ O level E Maths, A Maths

Ivan says

StarTutor's Review

An enthusiast in the fields of Economics and Geography, Ivan Chang was a former top student in Human Geography at Temasek Junior College. His desire and passion to impart his vast knowledge of these 2 subjects have seen him accumulate up to 4 years of teaching experience, taking on an array of students from Secondary to JC level. Currently, he is completing his Masters in Finance with the USA based Institute of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) while pursing a Business Degree at the Singapore Management University (SMU).

Economics and Geography being extremely complex subjects, many students find it difficult to interpret most of the crucial principles. To tackle this issue, Ivan incorporates his own set of custom, tailor-made notes into every lesson. These extensive notes are divided to suit each individual student’s needs; they are tweaked and modified accordingly to match integral essay components which enable the student to grasp the key points and obtain higher points during exams. His teaching style also makes use of real-life examples to better illustrate graphs and concepts to struggling students. It is a tried and tested method that has never failed to guarantee results.

Another unique feature which Ivan integrates into his classes, is his ability to accurately analyze and spot upcoming examination questions, he will set up his own custom mock paper for his students and allow them to go through a trial run in a bid to better prepare them for their exams.

To find a tutor like Ivan that pays so much attention to details is exceedingly rare, he is a truly remarkable tutor, and students can be assured that with his guidance, they will definitely achieve excellent results.

- Interviewed by StarTutor (Arthur, Jerry, Weichao), 4 July 2010

Awaiting entry into SMU

A Level (Temasek Junior College), General Paper (C), Maths (A), Physics (B), Geography (A), Economics (A), Project Work (B)

O Level (Zhonghua Secondary School), English (A2), E Maths (A1), A Maths (A1)

Teaching level and subjects
	Secondary/ O level Geography, Accounting, Social Studies
	Junior College/ A level Economics, Geography, Accounting
	University Accounting