Professional Teaching Endorsements for Gary Barker
Personal references from school leaders
I have had the pleasure of working with Gary for several years and would recommend him without hesitation.
Gary is completely committed to his students and always puts their best interests first. He believes every student can improve with the right support, encouragement, and high expectations.
His experience across different countries and schools, together with a successful career before teaching, gives him a broad perspective and a wealth of experience that benefits every learner.
Gary is also a genuinely kind person with a great sense of humour who cares deeply about others.
I would happily work with him again and recommend him to any student or family looking for an outstanding teacher and tutor.
John Simpson
IB Coordinator
Oporto British School
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Gary's subject knowledge not only in Geography, but also in associated specialisms like Geology, Geopolitics and History sets him apart from other teaching professionals. This enables Gary to engage students across a number of subjects and highlight how those have influenced and manifested in the Geographic realities, models and global issues we see today.
Having worked with Gary at a prestigious Asian international school, where the IBDP is run; he also taught students the core concepts of the course to good effect. He would regularly coach students to seek out who was 'leveraging power' or what the 'process' was causing the issue, or perhaps what the 'possibilities' were in future scenarios. This is where Gary's personalised learning approach for his students came in.
Gary would regularly expose students to synoptic exam type questions and essays they would face in their finals. He helped students to deconstruct, command words, and plan an essay structure before responding, and so empowering them prior to their exams. He would also differentiate accordingly with the help of scaffolding or writing frames for those students who struggled to make connections.
Steven Knight
Head of Geography
NLCS Jeju
I've had the opportunity to work with Gary and would happily recommend him as a tutor.
He's incredibly knowledgeable and has a lot of experience, but what stands out most is his patience. He takes the time to make sure students genuinely understand what they're learning rather than just giving them the answers.
Gary is also genuinely invested in helping his students succeed. He puts in the effort to understand where they're struggling and adapts his approach to suit them.
Gary is also genuinely invested in helping his students succeed. He puts in the effort to understand where they're struggling and adapts his approach to suit them.
I know he'll always go the extra mile to help students build both their confidence and their understanding, which is exactly what you want in a tutor.
Dayne Richards
Head of Humanities
Australian International School Bangkok
