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Find out more about Joe

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

  I come from a family of doctors and scientists, and as such I was very fortunate to be exposed to science at an early age. I have always been fascinated with how the universe works, as well as how an understanding of science can be used to better the world around us. I always gravitated towards the medical fields, which lead me to purse a career in medical physics
  and nanotechnology, which later evolved into a specialisation in stem cell technology. I have been tutoring ever since I was an undergraduate at Leeds university. I discovered my passion for teaching when I began to volunteer to teach some of the 1st and 2nd years, and found the experience not only extremely rewarding, but also extremely helpful in my understanding of the subjects that I was teaching. Once I finished my undergraduate degree I began to tutor privately as a part time job during my masters degrees, and I have continued to do so ever since.

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

  I primarily teach physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics up to a-level and university level. I am extremely passionate about these subjects and because of this I genuinely enjoy discussing them with students. I think I would have to say that I gain the most enjoyment when exploring the possibilities that these subjects offer with students, feeding their curiosity about the subject and (hopefully) kindling a passion at the same time. I also enjoy discussing areas of science which have significant impacts on my students' understanding. Quite often I find that there are certain key topics in science which are taught very poorly in schools, which in turn lead to students struggling unnecessarily. It often does not take much time to cover these topics, and often this results in significant improvements in understanding in a very short period of time. I find that this is not only very helpful for my students, but also greatly increases their confidence in the subject.

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

  I found the majority of my time as school largely unpleasant if I am to be perfectly honest. I believe that the school environment as it currently exists is extremely unhealthy in a number of different ways, and is certainly not in my honest opinion a positive learning environment. I did however have a teacher that did have a very positive influence on my schooling, and his name was Mr Roberts. As I said previously I didn't enjoy school, nor did I really engage with it as I should have because I hated the environment so much. This inevitably caused my grades to suffer. I was always naturally gifted with the sciences, but when it comes to a-levels you cannot just expect that to be enough. Due to my disengaged attitude I did not initially do very well in my assessments, and as such most of my science teachers wanted me to drop the sciences. Mr Roberts was however the only teacher who was prepared to defend me from being kicked out of the sciences. Fortunately I managed to obtain the grades I needed to get to university, whereupon I achieved two masters degrees (the 1st by research, and the 2nd a 1st class distinction). Without Mr Roberts I would have found it much harder to get into university, and because of this I am extremely grateful that he stood up for me when none of the other teachers would. I think this event was really important for me as a tutor, because it has taught me that often what a student needs most is for one of their teachers to stand up for them, and help them push past the issues that they are dealing with. To this day I pride myself in doing whatever is necessary for my students, not just because I believe that is what a good tutor should do, but also because my success is in part thanks to a teacher who did exactly that for me.

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

  There are a number of really important qualities that I think are essential for a good tutor to possess. The first and most obvious quality is that you need to have an extensive knowledge of your subject, and must possess a depth of understanding such that you can explain and expand upon concepts in such a way that is easy to understand. I do however think that a lot of people confuse being knowledgeable in a subject with possessing an ability to teach a subject, and in my experience these two qualities often have nothing to do with each other. A good tutor must be able to not only understand, but explain concepts in the simplest and most effective ways possible, and this is not an easy skill to master. Tutors must also be engaging, and dare I say it, fun. Learning the basics can often be boring, especially when you're not sure why exactly you would ever need this information. Combine that with an unengaging schooling system and negative emotions coming from struggling in a subject, and it's easy for students to become despondent and disconnected. Finally, I believe it's important for tutors to be able to nurture curiosity and passion in a subject. Yes, it is obviously important to pass examinations, but it becomes much easier to do so if you are not dreading the subject in question. In my experience, those who learn to enjoy their subjects excel, and I try my hardest to make it so that my students can begin to find joy in the process of learning. Finally, I believe it's important that a tutor makes their student feel comfortable. This is something a lot of tutors fail to do, and I believe that that is an unforgivable failure. Students must feel that they are in an environment where they are free to ask questions, to admit that they do not understand something, and are free to learn without judgement or criticism. Many tutors fail at this, and it is something that I believe is vital for a successful tutor.

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

  As I mentioned previously I did not enjoy my time at school, but I do remember one anecdote from when I was in year 4 that I believe taught me an important lesson. I had a teacher called Mr Hooker, who admittedly was a bit of a maverick (which was probably why I liked him so much), but was also one of the best teachers I ever had. I remember telling him about some of my ideas and inventions, and instead of dismissing these as the naive machinations of a child, he encouraged me to pursue these ideas. He even helped send emails to engineers and research scientists to discuss these ideas further. Whether he truly thought my ideas had merit, or if he just wanted to show me how to pursue my goals. Today I try to empower my students in the same way by showing them how they can make their goals and dreams a reality, which I believe is the duty of an educator and mentor.

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

  The eternal truth for scientists these days is that there is always something new to learn. We spend a lifetime studying our subjects, and often it can feel like one has only just scratched the surface. It is a continuous task to keep up to date with the latest breakthroughs, theories, and corrections. It is a monumental and unending task which can often lead scientists to becoming burnt out. Fortunately, I actively enjoy learning as I view it as one of the purest forms of self improvement. Yes, it is sometimes a struggle to keep on top of everything, especially these days when scientific progress in certain fields can appear overwhelming at times, but I tackle this task in the same way I teach my students to tackle their studies, and in doing so I believe I become an ever more effective tutor.

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

  I have always been passionate about the sciences, but these days I find most of my energy is focused towards medicine, with a particular focus on regenerative medicine. My main occupation besides my PhD and tutoring is medical research, specially in the areas of slowing and even reversing the aging process. I am particularly interested in this area of science as it offers the possibility of benefiting every single person alive today, and could potentially lead to greatly improving life for everyone. I think this highlights my passion for using our understanding of science to improve the world around us. It is true that understanding is its own reward, but being able to use that understanding to help yourself and others is so fundamental to what makes us human that I believe it's written into our very DNA. I would say that the pursuit of science truly is my career, my occupation, and my passion.

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

  As I mentioned previously I have a strong belief that there are many different factors that go into making a tutor. You must be knowledgeable, approachable, empathetic, and persistent. I believe that I possess these qualities, and I honestly think this is what has made me an extremely successful tutor. Ultimately I believe the only real way of measuring a tutors value is by their results, and after successfully tutoring hundreds of students over a five year period I am happy to let their testimonies speak for themself. Ultimately what I think I fundamentally do differently to many other tutors is that I am a mentor to my students, rather than someone who will just regurgitate information for them. Teaching students how to think, how to solve problems, and how to deal with challenges that they will face in their academic career gives my students an edge which others lack, and I believe this is one of the reasons why my students are so successful. Ultimately, I strive to be whatever my students need me to be, and think that is what makes me such a good tutor.