Enthusiastic physics and maths tutor with 27 years experience
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What I teach -
I have been a specialist tutor in A-level physics for the last 27 years and also teach GCSE physics and maths. I teach all exam boards- Edexcel, AQA, OCR including syllabus B, Welsh Board, plus Scottish Higher, Advanced Higher, University Foundation, and International Baccalaureate.
I teach what an individual student requires e.g. reinforcing what you learned in school that week, revision for exams and mocks, teaching specific topics as required, and teaching private candidates. I encourage students to be proactive in suggesting what topics to teach that lesson.
Results
My students get excellent results. Recently two of my students got A* grades and an AQA retake student improved from E to A, by giving her the exam practice she lacked in her last school. Some of my students score 100% on A level units and once 600/600. Most of my two-year students score minimum B and my retake grade improvement is at least two grades e.g. D to B. Many of my students go on to university to study medicine engineering and sciences.
Experience
Since 1993 I have taught full-time, in most private tutorial colleges in London e.g. MPW and Albemarle, often as Head of Physics, all exam boards. I teach two-year courses, one year retakes, Easter Revision. I have tutored privately through agencies, via colleges and personal recommendations. I am experienced in teaching students whose first language is not English.
I am an examiner, marking A-level and GCSE physics each year since 2001.
Methods
I have successfully made the transition from face-to-face to online teaching and have acquired a taste for it. It works just as well for my students as traditional teaching. I enjoy using my online whiteboard and scanned resources-packs of exam board specific past paper questions plus my own questions arranged by topic.
I teach study and revision techniques and provide topic-specific revision notes. I have been interested in exam technique since I was a teenager and share this with my students. As an examiner, I know exactly what is required and often use questions I have marked professionally. I address each individual student's issues and am patient and happy to repeat and use different explanations until a topic is understood.
I use my own repertoire of worked examples which make the subject interesting by being real-life related, and also similar to exam questions. I use packs of board-specific past paper questions arranged by topic. My worked examples cover 90% of what will come up in your exam. For descriptive questions e.g. 6 mark questions I give lists of key descriptive phrases to break these down into manageable chunks, and details of the key practicals.
I enjoy making links between physics and other A-levels e.g. maths and chemistry and its relevance to e.g. engineering and medicine. I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for physics but also respect those for whom physics is not their favourite subject, and work with them to get the best possible grade.
Interests
I am passionate about physics. I am a keen amateur astronomer and give lectures on the subject and keep up to date by attending lectures at London Universities and the Institute of Physics.
Qualifications
I have a 2/1 degree in astronomy and physics from University College London, a postgraduate qualification in meteorology, and a Further Education teaching qualification.
Subject | Level |
---|---|
Maths | GCSE |
Physics | IB |
Physics | GCSE |
Physics | A-Level |
Where do I go from here?
You can send James a message through Sherpa and they will usually get back to you within 24 hours. You'll receive an SMS and email notification when they do so.
How do the introductions work?
Sherpa gives you the opportunity to meet our tutors in a free 20 minute introduction, which takes place through the Sherpa classroom.
How do lessons work?
All lessons take place through Sherpa's online, industry-leading classroom. This is a combination of a collaborative, real time whiteboard and a video call, like Zoom.