Astrophysics Graduate & MSc Computer Science | 9+ Years Tutoring | GCSE & A-Level Maths | Online One-to-One

Find out more about Tomi

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

  To be honest, I've always had a deep and passionate interest with space and the whole universe. From as young as 9 years old, I remember looking up beyond the clouds and thinking 'I wonder how far it all goes?'. Since then, my curiosities have evolved from the vastness of cosmology and astronomy, to the complexity of quantum physics and the fabric of reality, to even the evolution of life itself. Ask any student I've taught and they'll tell you how much I love diving into deep thoughts and conversations. I discovered this side of myself during university while I was studying astrophysics - here I began tutoring for the first time and I've loved and enjoyed it 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).

  Although many people see school subjects as distinct and separate, I've always been able to break past those boundaries and notice more of the connections between them. For example in Biology, we're taught about the processes of life and of the cellular reactions happening inside our bodies. However, the more detailed we try to describe these biological processes, the more knowledge of chemistry we have to introduce. This pattern continues to follow through with the other sciences as well. In Chemistry, more knowledge of the physics of atoms and particles is needed to explain their reactions. And in Physics, knowledge of the mathematical patterns and relationships unfolding in nature cannot be avoided. The connections between these subjects often tend to emerge whenever I'm discussing and explaining ideas with students. On the other hand, I was never a fan of English as a subject in school until I started teaching myself to rap and write my own music. I became fascinated in meaning and language and how I could express myself in a state of flow. Now its something I enjoy engaging in creatively and teaching to other people.

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

  If I'm being totally honest with myself, I've been impacted in my life both by real people and by fictional characters. Growing up without a father had left me having to look elsewhere for guidance before looking to myself. I often identified with fictional characters that were fatherless from a young age and were going through struggles I could relate to. However, there was no one person, no one teacher, and no one character that inspired me, but rather, I have been inspired everyday by people who have had the courage to be themselves.

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

  Aside from having a strong depth of subject knowledge, a willingness in wanting to help their student, and a genuine curiosity in the subjects themselves; I deeply believe a good tutor is one who listens well. Over the years, I've been developing and improving my ability to sincerely hear my student's point of view. And I don't mean half-hearted listening, or listening just to quickly reply, but I mean listening to actually understand my students. Each and every one of them is unique - hailing from different backgrounds, cultures and speaking different languages; each one cannot be approached the same way. After all, how can a tutor teach without knowing where their student is at?

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

  To this day, I still remember a pivotal moment in my life in one of my English classes, in year 8, where everything changed for me. My English teacher had just opened up a video for the whole class to watch, it was a scene from a play that we were studying at the time. I wasn't particularly paying much attention to the video - in fact my eyes were more drawn to the greenery of the trees outside the classroom. It wasn't until I heard the background music start playing before my entire attention was captivated. For the first time, my ears were submerged in the most harmonious sound I had ever heard. This changed my life. A classical piano piece composed by Ludovico Einaudi, named 'Nuvole Bianche', was filling the whole classroom up with melodies, harmonic notes and rhythmic arpeggios - the likes of which my ears had never heard before. It almost brought me to tears. At the end of the lesson, I asked my English teacher how I could find that same video again so I could search it up and look for the piano audio behind it. Something in me refused to let that piece of music go unlearned. From that day onward, I showed up at the front gates of my school every morning an hour early, before the gates had even opened - all just so I could secure some time and space alone with the piano in the music room, to learn that one piece. Being exposed to that wonderful piece of music, changed my school life forever.

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

  During my sixth-form years studying A-level Maths, Physics and Chemistry, I often struggled with memorising all of the relevant formulas and equations. Knowing myself, I had to find a way to have fun with the revision process and so I began handwriting my own flash cards. I developed a game-like technique where I would go through all of the flash cards and I'd stack up a pile of cards on the topics and equations that I was confident with, allowing me to focus on the cards that I wasn't. To this day, I'm still familiar with, and remember, the relevant formulas in each subject like the back of my hand!

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

  For as long as I can remember, Music has always been a deeply rooted passion of mine. On my daily commutes to college, I endured hour long bus rides from South East to Central London. I'd always have my MP3 player with me fully charged and ready to go for the entire journey. I loved listening to music of all kinds. With genres ranging from Hip Hop to Classical music, I often found myself lyrically adding to the rhythms with the voice of my own thoughts. It wasn't until the middle of studying astrophysics at university did I have time and space with myself to finally begin writing and releasing my own music. As I continue to live and breathe, music is something that'll never stop with me.

• What makes you a SuperProf (besides answering this interview questions :-P) ?

  I've come to learn how a certain way of explaining a particular idea to a student may not equally be as effective when explained the same way to a different student. The ability to select the right words and phrases when throwing complex ideas across has been patiently instilled in me since I began tutoring as a profession. Through trial, error, and with a growth oriented mindset, I have acquired valuable experience which has kept me continually adjusting my approach to each and every student I meet, helping me tailor the lessons to their specific needs - I think this is what makes me a SuperProf!