About
Juan Mateu
Welcome to my website!
I am Juan B. Mateu-Bueso, a Mathematics educator with over 15 years of experience teaching and tutoring students across England.
Educational Background
Master's degree in Economics (University of Valencia, 1992)
Postgraduate degree in Business Administration and Management (University of Valencia, 2002)
PGCE in Mathematics Education at Masters level from the University of Sussex (2011), specializing in Secondary Education and Further Education (A levels, International A levels, and the International Baccalaureate)
Profesional Experience
Mathematics Tutor
I've helped countless students achieve their academic goals through personalized sessions. In 2020, I transitioned to online tutoring exclusively.
Mathematics Teacher
Currently, I am a full-time Mathematics Teacher at a College, a position I've held since 2019. Previously, I taught at Secondary and Sixth Form institutions in Greater London from 2011 to 2019.
Expert Examiner
In addition to tutoring, I work as an Expert Examiner with Pearson (Edexcel) since 2015, assessing student performance in official A-Level exams.
My approach
Modern learning theory shows that performing translations among different representations is essential to understand, communicate and operate on mathematical concepts. The use of imagery and visualisation exploits innate skills to develop the ability to build up concept maps and models, which will be mentally activated to interact with real situations to analyse and solve problems.
Students transferring information fluently between different systems of representation (worded questions, algebra, coordinate geometry, tables, diagrams, sketches, etc) have a significant advantage, in contrast to others who just apply the right algorithm, a set of steps, to a particular problem in order to get an answer. more ›
I aim to achieve a compromise between repetitive and reflective tasks, to achieve a full command of a particular mathematical technique. Further practice, especially in non-familiar contexts, will help to make an abstraction of the model, and complete a mental map by finding connections with other models. I nurture an environment in which connections between topics are chased; my students assume that other mathematical models can come to light.
Finally, I believe that a higher motivation leads to a better performance, and a better performance is such a powerful motivational force. This virtuous circle can be fed just with good lessons, where students are aware of their progress and small and big achievements are recognised and celebrated. I do not miss an opportunity to make my students smile, even after a serious mistake that requires deep reflection. We enjoy our lessons.
"All students learn because they want to "
Denby, 2008
Technology
"Technology motivates students to become more interested in exploring, investigating, conjecturing, creating, and discovering principles and making generalisations; it helps students in becoming mathematical problem-solvers, and in enhancing their conceptual understanding of geometry."
Karatas, 2011
Technology has made possible an instant display of mathematical relationships in every lesson, something that was not possible to do just a few years ago.
In my remote lessons I mainly use an iPad pro alongside a computer with several displays and specific software. Students see a replica of one of my screens in their computer and can send me pictures of their work, receive problems, worksheets, etc. The interaction is fluid.