Geology student offering to share the wonders of geology, palaeontology, and geography up to and including A-level!

Find out more about Nika

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

  I always passionate about music and science. Since I can remember I've been collecting fossils, bird watching, playing random little tunes… In the last few years, I've been very happy to learn about all my passions in a much greater depth, first at GCSE level and now at A-level! Just as I am passionate about learning, I am also very passionate about sharing everything I learn, and at 13, when I was allowed to work part time, I started to share that knowledge and am finding it very amazing to help just some people get through the same topics I had trouble with a little easier!

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

  I enjoy teaching all subjects and topics; however, my weakness is memorising in any subject. I have great difficulty memorising dates, vocab, figures, etc. and I think that a lot of other students struggle with the same problem too. I have now found multiple methods that are helping me on that path, and I am happily using and passing some of these methods and technics on my students.

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

  In both my fields I have always had two people I look up to and think of as role models. For science, it was always Sir David Attenborough. In my home, family time in front of the TV has always been watched his documentaries. I admired the way he could make complex natural phenomenon simple and understandable to everyone, inspiring me both to be a scientist and a teacher.
  As for music, Martha Argerich is not only very musical, but she has also found a way to spread her feelings across the world. Surprisingly my style in piano is often compered to Ms Argerich's style.

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

  I believe that a good tutor has to be patient and flexible, if something doesn't quite click in place move on, give it time and come back to it with a new approach. It is very important to listen to a student, and to what they need and want. How they react to a particular method, or piece. Respect to a student is an absolute paramount.
  I also think that a good tutor is a "strict" and demanding one, not in a bad way, but not to leave a lesson without learning something.

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

  I remember being at school and watching other students' disrespect and disobey our teachers and I thought "I never want to be a teacher, why put so much of your effort into children if they don't ever try to learn anything? No wonder, so many teachers shout…" Yet here I am teaching one-to-one, and I find, the real problem is the teacher, most students won't disrespect you if you don't give them a reason and will learn if you show them how.

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

  Like I said before, my biggest difficulty in all of my subjects, except for piano and music, is memorising. However, if I kept trying and found different methods of memorising and now, I find that I can not only help myself with these methods, but I can also help my students.

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

  I have two real passions; piano and nature conservation. For piano/music, my passion is expressing myself in a way not everyone can, but everyone can understand. Although not everyone is a musician, everyone has something in them that is musical and if a piece is in a minor key almost anyone would say that it is sad, but if it is in a major key, most will say it is happy.
  As for nature conservation, there is a lot to do nowadays with both the big global issues and more local issues, that both have to be addressed to make our lives sustainable and possible. I am also the founder of a nature conservation organisation: www.teensandfriedsunited.org

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering this interview questions :-P) ?

  I think that I have a unique view as I was in multiple schools in multiple countries, then home educated by private tutors and even being educated online. And I am aware and have experienced both sides, being tutored online and a tutor online. And trying to give my students exactly what I expected from my tutors. I understand the difficulties on both sides, and this gives me a unique view and opportunity to be very flexible with my approach and tactics, understanding, listening and respecting my students and their needs and I am always available to my students by WhatsApp messages almost 24/7.