Shivangi Ratnu

What do my lessons look like exactly?

I do not have a rigid template, because every student learns differently. But I have a method that always works – whether maths, statistics, or programming.

My teaching method in 4 phases:

Phase 1: Understanding where you are (5–10 minutes)
Every lesson starts with a quick check-in: "What have you done since last time? What was easy? What felt weird?" I want to know where your head is – not just academically, but emotionally. Some students are afraid of maths. I take that seriously.

Phase 2: The concept (10–15 minutes)
I explain a topic in three different ways:

With words (how would I explain it to a friend?)
With a picture or diagram (because the brain loves images)
With a concrete, sometimes funny example problem (see my dice example from the ad)
Only then comes the formula. The formula is the summary – not the beginning.

Phase 3: Applying together (15–20 minutes)
Now you are up. I give you a similar problem, but this time we solve it together. You take the whiteboard, I ask questions:

"What do we already know?"
"What information do we still need?"
"Does the result make sense?"
I do not help immediately. I let you think first. Because: The moment you untie the knot yourself is the moment the knowledge stays forever.

Phase 4: Independent work & closing (5–10 minutes)
You get a problem that you solve completely alone – while I watch. Then you tell me in one sentence: "Today I learned that..." And you get 1–3 small homework problems (max 15 minutes of work). Nothing overwhelming. But exactly what sticks.

The dynamic in my lessons:

You set the pace. We repeat until it clicks. No topic is embarrassing.
I ask more questions than I give answers. Because you learn to think for yourself – not to listen to me.
Mistakes are not defeats. Mistakes are clues. Every mistake tells me exactly where we need to start again.
My experience so far (short):

I have worked for over 2.5 years as a data scientist, and during that time I not only worked with numbers but also talked to people: sales teams, HR, leadership. I learned to explain complex things so that everyone understands – whether someone works with data daily or has never seen a formula before.

Additionally, I have two mathematics degrees (Bachelor's and Master's) and am currently completing a Master's in Data Science. I know maths from primary school to university – but I have never forgotten what it feels like to not understand something.

What you can expect from me:

I do this I do NOT do this
I prepare every lesson I just read formulas aloud
I explain until you understand – even with new examples I say "But this is easy"
I give honest feedback (friendly but clear) I shame you for mistakes
I reply between lessons briefly and for free I do your homework for you
Who are my lessons for?

Students from grade 7 up to Abitur (maths, statistics)
University students who need to learn statistics or Python basics
Anyone who thinks "I am just not a maths person" – because that is usually not true
One last thing:

My students sometimes say that after one hour with me, they suddenly enjoyed a problem they previously hated. That is the best feedback for me.