I am a Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, and Quantum Physics Tutor

Find out more about Oliver

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

  I have enjoyed Maths for as long as I can remember. My Mum tells me that as a child I would watch over my older brother's shoulder as he sat through his Maths homework, and try to work it out myself. That interest expanded into the sciences during my GCSE years, particularly Chemistry and Physics. I remember achieving 100% in one of Physics GCSE exams, and feeling a first real sense of pride for something I had achieved.
  
  I studied Physics at the University of Leeds, which included a combination of Maths, Physics, and Chemistry - the three subjects I now tutor up to A Level. This time at university was a critical time for me and my development, and I became semi-obsessed with my studies towards the end of my university career - achieving a high Distinction Grade in my Masters. I was sad to leave it behind.

• 2) 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 teach Chemistry, Maths, and Physics up to A Level standard.
  
  My approach is to split 1 hour sessions in half, focusing on theory for the first half, and exam-style questions for the second half. With each of these subjects, understanding the content well is vital, but exam technique is equally important. Students need to learn to make their examiner's life easy.
  
  I believe that subjects that require memorisation only are best left to a student's independent study. Tutoring sessions should be used to break down concepts and see challenging ideas in a new way. 2 perspectives on ideas can help to make things click.

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

  I had a few teachers back in school that were pretty important for me. Back then, I was a little aimless and struggled to apply myself to school work. These teachers managed to get the most out of me, and encouraged me to work hard to get the grades I needed for my university choice.
  
  I saw first-hand the importance of good teachers for setting students off on the right path. Even if university isn't your desired path, working hard towards exams and seeing that hard work pay-off is critical for building self-confidence, that will translate into everything you do.
  
  I also had a lecturer at university who really helped me to explore my interests in particle physics. For my dissertation, he gave me a lot of freedom to study areas of quantum field theory and fundamental forces. To this day, this dissertation is still my proudest achievement and the most interesting thing I've ever done.

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

  A good tutor needs to be patient, whilst also ensuring that they don't do too much. Giving students enough time to come up with their own ideas to solutions, even if wrong in their first attempts, is an important part of their learning process that can't be avoided.
  
  It can be tempting for tutors to jump in and correct their students too quickly, but this can have a damaging effect on independent thinking. It can also lead complacency in students, who may believe they understand something before they can articulate it fully themselves without prompting.
  
  Finally, a good tutor is prepared for their lessons with clear slides, questions, or lesson plans. They should take time to plan the lesson for the particular student, understanding their learning style, strengths, and weaknesses when preparing the materials.

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

  I had a particularly good Physics teacher in my GCSE year, and he really sparked my interest in the subject, which ultimately had a huge impact on my life. He had an enthusiasm for the subject that was infectious, and I clearly remember in his lessons deciding that I wanted to take Physics at university. It was perhaps the first time I'd been really interested in something academically speaking, and gave me a tonne of motivation to learn as much as I could.

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

  I took Maths, Chemistry, and Physics for A Level, and I remember really struggling at the beginning of my AS Levels. I felt as though I understood the content reasonably well, but would not do well in mock exams. My teachers helped me to understand that I needed to learn how to answer questions in the style of the mark schemes, and that this was a separate skill to simply learning the content of the syllabus.
  
  Once I had learned the content to a level I understood, I focused on understanding what the mark schemes required of my answers to get all of the marks, and thinking in this way improved my grades dramatically.
  
  I've seen this theme play out for my students a number of times. They understand the content, but don't provide the specific points the mark scheme requires, and so miss easy marks. It can be demoralising, so learning to identify this issue and work on it is really important.

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

  I'm passionate about running. My Dad would take me out running a lot as a kid and it has really stuck with me. I've competed in 2 ultra-marathons and a few marathons, and I keep pushing how far I can go with each passing year.

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

  I've completed 2 Masters, in Physics and Information Security, and have a real passion for understanding difficult concepts. I've completed hundreds of hours of tutoring for many students, and have learned a lot along the way about what makes ideas stick.