Jack

Hello there!

My name's Jack. I am 30 years old, hold a first class Masters degree in Physics and (when I'm not tutoring) work as an aerospace software engineer. I would describe myself as a friendly, warm-natured, curious person who enjoys helping people whichever way I can - qualities which I think have drawn me towards tutoring.

I live and work in Cheltenham and my parents still live just a stone's throw away in Tewkesbury. I studied physics at the University of Bristol and subsequently found work in the software world; first as a cyber security specialist in Bath and then as a software engineer at a company a little closer to home.

I got married at the tail end of 2019 (just month's before Covid would have called the whole thing off thankfully!). We just bought a house together and so these days we are perpetually painting walls, fixing creaky floorboards and digging up the garden. We also have designs on one day welcoming a furry companion into the house - but alas I am from planet Cat and my wife is from planet Dog, so we'll see!

In my spare time I am a pretty avid guitarist and have been playing since my early teens. I played in a few bands when I was in university and still play now, albeit with less of a "we're gonna be the next Arctic Monkeys" mentality than I used to. I actually tutor electric guitar as well so if you're a musically inclined mathematician/physicist, then we can even have a jam after we've solved a few quadratic equations together! :)

Aside from these pursuits, I still love learning about science and try to keep my mind limber by reading articles and taking courses about topics that intrigue me.

Hopefully that gives a good picture of who I am - do read on to learn a bit more about my tutoring philosophy.

Tutoring Experience

I started tutoring shortly after graduating from university - initially for friends and family members whose children were struggling with their maths and physics. Since then I have moved into tutoring professionally and have now taught more than 100 students across a range of topics and levels. Thus far this has included KS3 science and maths, GSCE/A-Level maths, GCSE/A-Level physics and occasionally degree level maths.

I have had great success with the vast majority of my students, typically raising their predicted grades by two classifications (e.g. from a C to an A). What's more, I always try to nurture my student's appreciation of a topic in a more holistic way, not exclusively tailored to just passing the examination.

I believe that as a tutor, beyond technical aptitude and personality, there is nothing more valuable than experience. Having accumulated over 2000 hours of teaching time, tutoring those struggling to understand the fundamentals to those polishing up an already strong skillset, I have developed an innate appreciation of how to get the best out of my students.

Tutoring Approach

I always try to create an atmosphere where the student feels like there is no judgement so that they are not afraid to ask questions. I find that a lot of students who are struggling often have a fear of getting things wrong and I work hard to dispel this.

I try to strike a good balance between teaching the concepts and practicing questions. I usually find that once a student has some experience and the belief that they can get to the right answer they tend to progress very quickly. I like to let the student lead the way where they feel they can, focusing on topics which they are particularly fearful of.

Most importantly though I am a friendly, patient person and will always do my best to help. We're a team and if you're my student then I'm always in your corner!