Ex semiconductor engineer and now experienced teacher (17 years) seeks school/Uni students for online tuition. I am based in the UK but specialise in Australian and International school tuition.

Learn more about Stuart

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

  I was always interested in Science at school. The increase in Space activity in the early 80's with the Space Shuttle ignited an early interest in the Cosmos (as did the film ET!). However, I was more interested in Biology until my last year in High School where my Physics teacher taught in a fun and engaging way. What I previously thought of as a 'difficult' subject suddenly seemed less so, indeed once beyond the 'difficulties' I could see that it was an empowering subject with limitless possibilities.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  Physics has something for everyone but you must like problem solving and puzzles. While good at maths, I was never a natural so I 'gravitated' (groan....) towards the concepts. Weird things like black holes and time dilation really grabbed me, and of course the sheer size of the universe. What really enthused me though was the way that Physics could shine incredible light on seemingly impossible problems. Knowledge became the ultimate lever, allowing the impossible to become possible. Even the more down to Earth topics of Forces and Motion had so much to give in terms of understanding simple Physical phenomena that we see and feel everyday, and yet don't fully understand. My earliest memory in this regard was my Dad putting a beer mat on top of a full pint glass of water and quickly upending it. I gasped but the water stayed in. It's a simple explanation and curious people need to know what it is! My least favourite topics I still enjoy, but are the most distant in terms of everyday understanding. The particle model of Physics is crucial to our understanding of reality but involves experiments that can only be done in vast particle accelerators, not the most accessible bit of Physics, but still intriguing.

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

  I have had many role models. Carl Sagan is a perennial legend in the Science community. My own Junior and Senior Physics teachers were legends in their own classrooms. And my student teacher mentor as I trained to be a teacher taught me that knowledge is essential but relationships even more so.

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

  The main properties a tutor requires are patience, humility, knowledge and a sense of fun. Tutoring can often start as a chore for some pupils. In the right hands a skillful tutor can turn those hours into places where new learning strategies grow and confidence builds. Once the desire to learn is there, it's only a matter of time before the knowledge and skill catch up.

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

  As teachers we should encourage constant personal improvement over a 'pass or fail' mentality. The ideal is when a student with no self belief ends up achieving the pinnacle of success. For me, this is even more rewarding than when a very able pupil does the same. It is harder work when a pupil lacks self belief. I taught a pupil in 3rd year (year 9 in England) who constantly arrived late and misbehaved, trying to mask their lack of self belief. Over months I built on my relationship with this pupil, accentuating any positives I could and celebrating any small successes in a modest and private way. This pupil's desire to show off eventually got the better of him and he started answering questions in class. At first trying to show off and getting things wrong, but finally getting more and more right. There were still more failures than successes that year but the following year he was back. This time with a partner in crime! The terrible duo proceeded to out 'macho' each other and as a result failed all their exams. But through the year my old S3's pupil's confidence grew and he became bored of failing when he knew he had the potential to succeed. In S5 he was back, this time with a conviction 'not to mess up'. True to his word he did something he had never done before. He revised for exams, and started passing! At the end of the year he achieved a hard won B. The following year (S6) he returned for Higher Physics (Scotland) and surpassed all of our expectations, outperforming all of the 'brightest' students to get an A. The greatest success though was seeing how this boy had matured. He understood the trajectory of his own journey and that it was his conviction to mature and work hard that had played the crucial role. All I did was give him the time to take the journey and try to have fun with the Physics along the way.

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

  There are many challenges facing Physics teachers and tutors post covid. I think by far the largest is that we live in a post technological era. The fascination with how things work is being replaced with devices and software that make that journey less necessary. Young people are encouraged to be entertained and enthralled by what technology and apps can do, rather than to see how they can use the scientific method as a tool. Our place in the universe as a defining quality is being replaced by our place in the digital multiverse. One is a cosmic realm shaped by reality and anchored to its laws. The other is endlessly evolving, untethered by laws or reality but rather defined by corporate need (or should that be greed).

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

  I was originally enthused by the power and scope of science and the individual stories of amazing discoveries. Later I was inspired by seeing teachers make significant contributions to young people's lives. Building trust as a leader of thought gives immense power to shape the future of society. As societies have been dealing with increasing pressure I have moved away from the restricted realm of school teaching where limitations on the power to teach are growing. I now take the greatest pleasure in making a much bigger difference to a much smaller number of students. My passion is no less than it was but how I use it has changed.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions)?

  I am superprof because I truly believe that teaching is not just about subjects, it is about the search for truth and meaning and ultimately, about finding a place in the world that we can fit and make a valuable contribution. I have devoted my life to these ideals and there are none that supersede them I believe. Teaching, and especially tutoring allows me to align my search for truth and meaning with that of other young people.