Ryan

Hi everyone, my name is Ryan, and this is my first year tutoring with AHeadStart. I hold a BA in Psychology from Clark University in the USA, and I am currently in my second year of a BSc in Physics at the University of Canterbury. I tutor Mathematics, Calculus, and Physics.

I am familiar with all levels of NCEA and, because I did AS and A2 Levels in the UK, I am also very familiar with the Cambridge International Examinations curriculum.

After completing my BA, I served in the Royal New Zealand Infantry for four years, but don’t let that scare you! I am friendly, approachable, and enthusiastic with practically infinite patience. I am a firm believer in the spiral approach to teaching, when as learning progresses, more detailed information is constantly being integrated with the big-picture ideas. I also try and adopt the teaching style of Physicist Richard Feynman: it is important, especially in science and maths, that we do not simply memorize formulae and theorems, but understand how we can derive them using basic axioms. I think that this approach teaches students how to use these basic ideas to venture into unknown territory with confidence.

In my free time I enjoy doing new physics and maths problems (seriously, I love this stuff!) and expanding my knowledge of computer science, and science in general. In between this, I try and find the time to entertain my cat, as he is quite demanding.