Lionel

Unusually I have expertise in both art and applied technology. I qualified as a Naval Architect with Chartered Engineer status and 11 years professional experience as a ship designer, shipbuilding manager and consultant engineer before leaving the industry to study and practice fine art. I am now a professional artist and art tutor with a wide variety of experiences which link art to science. I maintain a strong interest in science and technology and am currently working with climate change scientists at the University of Northumbria and with the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany on an art-science PhD. I help my own children with their understanding of maths and physics. I keep up to date with knowledge about physics through science websites like Nature and through conversations with friends and relations in industry and academia. I believe that this breadth of learning is mutually beneficial in science and art.

Tutoring Experience

1997-2003: visiting lecturer with Newcastle University Dept of Education.
2003-2011: visiting lecturer with Sunderland University Centre for Lifelong Learning.
2002-2007: schools in service trainer for North Shields Council.
2005-2020: tutor at Higham Hall College, Cumbria.
2008-2012: tutor at Alston Hall College, Preston.
2009-2016: assessor for Darnley Career Academy.

Tutoring Approach

I believe that every student can improve their current performance, sometimes quite dramatically, by developing a strong desire to learn, self-organise, plan and achieve the success they plan for. I use my experience of learning and working life to bring Maths and Physics to life for each student so that they can develop a stronger motivation to set appropriate targets, plan their time effectively and put in the required work of knowledge acquisition, understanding and revision practice.
On first meeting a new student I find out what their interests and aspirations are and try to make the subject alive and meaningful for them. I assess where their weaknesses are in understanding and technique based on exam results if available, and on a review of each topic area. Depending on how much time remains before the exam(s) I encourage students to develop and follow a detailed revision plan which includes tackling past paper questions and analysing the answers and methods of approach which maximise points. I help the student deploy well known techniques of learning and revision appropriate to the amount of time remaining and their level of understanding in each topic, establishing a suitable priority check list of things to do in the time available. This is especially important for 'crash' revision where exams may be only a couple of months away.