Steve

I am a Physics PhD graduate from King's College London with a research focus in Optics and Nanotechnology. In my leisure time I practice and help teach Taekwondo in which I hold a 4th Dan black belt and nationally registered centre referee as well as playing the piano. Although I do not have an official qualification for the piano, I am a self taught and avid player in both classical and modern genres (mainly modern but I like to dabble a little).

I have been tutored myself before coming to University and so I understand what it is like to be in that position, methods to deliver an effective yet stimulating and interesting session and what is expected of a tutor.

Tutoring Experience

During my time at university I have tutored groups of GCSE students in Maths at a London school, privately tutored A Level students in Maths and Physics as well as lectured Physics courses and seminars for undergraduate students up to their 4th and final year.

Before University however I assisted in Mathematics and Physics classes at my secondary school during my free periods of Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13). This involved me acting as a "Teaching assistant" for the class as a whole as well as providing (when needed) 1-1 assistance for individual students whom required more specialised and focused help. This was, of course, discussed and agreed upon with the teachers in question. I also helped and lead sessions during an after school GCSE Astronomy class along side the Physics Teacher.

Outside of academia I have also held a head coach position at the King's College London Taekwondo Club for 7 years teaching classes for undergraduate students and professionals, training them for competitions as well as helping some students achieve their own black belts.

Tutoring Approach

*** Please note that I only offer online tuition sessions ***

Generally, I prefer to allow the students achieve a deep understanding of a topic and be able to analyse their problem in a systematic way to allow them to approach a solution in an organic way instead of rote memorisation of a mark scheme or set of identical problems. With this in mind, I will engage with the student by asking them questions and working through the problem to solve as opposed to lecturing at them. This not only gives them confidence in solving similar problems but also allows them to critically and creatively think and apply similar principles to unforeseen problems. I have found this approach to be effective for all students I have tutored from A Level to undergraduate.

The tutee might also have materials already (e.g. homework assignments) that they are unsure about and would like to go over but this is not necessary.

Ultimately, it will come down to the tutee on how much they would like to learn and what they want to achieve academically which I am happy to help them with. Therefore, I like to first discuss the student's specific needs and to devise a plan accordingly with them and the parents/guardians. Great grades requires a great deal of work and can best be achieved with everyone being engaged.

**Cancellation Policy: I do not charge if you let me know 24+ hours in advance that you cannot attend a lesson. Please do so as soon as you can, so that I can plan my schedule accordingly.