Joshua

Hi! My name is Joshua and I am a qualified Science teacher with 3 years of experience. I teach A-Level Physics, GCSE Sciences and KS3 Science. I have a degree in Mechanical and Energy Engineering which uses tons of Physics and Maths so I have practical applied experience of using both. I believe in teaching Physics and Maths using real world examples so you are able to link your learning to relatable concepts, helping you to remember and understand them better.

One of my hobbies is watching and discussing films, especially Science Fiction films. I find that these films can sometimes help to explain tricky concepts to pupils as they often find things that they have seen on-screen easier to understand than abstract concepts. I also enjoy cooking, basketball and using Science in both.

Tutoring Experience

I am a fully qualified Science teacher with a specialism in Physics. I have 4 years experience teaching pupils aged 11-16 and 2 years teaching A Level Physics.

I am one of two fully qualified Physics teachers at my school which has allowed me to gain significant Physics teaching experience in a relatively short amount of time.
I have taught plenty of KS3 Science and KS4 Combined Science which qualifies me well to also teach Biology and Chemistry up to GCSE level.

Since I began teaching GCSE Physics, the A-Level Physics interest at my school has increased significantly, with almost double the amount of students applying for A-Level Physics this year than was normal before I joined. It has often been said of me by mentors and colleagues that my teaching comes across as someone with far more experience than I have.

I often stress the importance of Maths in my Science lessons and spend lots of time embedding an appreciation for Maths in my students.

Tutoring Approach

My approach, first and foremost, is to make science relatable, relevant and interesting to pupils, something that I have had considerable success in.

When it comes to teaching, most teachers recognise two approaches. The first is teaching to an exam (teaching the bare minimum required to pass exams, often as rote learning). The second is teaching purely for knowledge (going beyond the limits of the specification and aiming to instill deep rooted understanding so that pupils may apply this knowledge in a variety of situations, including exams).
While the second approach sounds more effective, the truth is that is can confuse pupils as exams require very precise wording, and some simple exam skills can guarantee higher grades.

My approach is a combination of the two; I aim to first instill a deep interest and understanding of the topic in my pupils and then to help them identify exactly how to answer exam questions on the topic, clearly identifying what parts of their new gained knowledge will be relevant to the exams and which parts are purely for knowledge.