Top tips for giving private physics tuition

Physics is likely to be one of the most attractive subjects if it is taught with passion. However, pure theory is something that many students find difficult to grasp. As with other subjects, there are a number of techniques you need to know to get started in private tuition in physics.  

How to keep students engaged

Experienced private physics tutor, Jithin Thazhe Puthiyotti believes in the use of experiments and demonstrations to keep students engaged in physics classes. Watch the full interview below to find out more of his top tips: 

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If we have to explain something theoretically in our private tuition in physics, it is important that we do it as dynamically as possible. Young students can have a short attention span, so keep in mind to make concise explanations, and always following these steps to teach physics: 

• Capture attention

• Explain briefly

• Evaluate 

One of the biggest problems faced by the physics tutor is the lack of engagement of the students. It is very common to start explaining something and find that the physics student is not interested and is not committed to maintaining the level of the private tuition.

Make classes more dynamic

Physics plays in our favour, we just have to follow a series of tips to give a private physics lesson that will be much more dynamic:

• Draw: you can also make diagrams. Playing with visual elements in a subject like this is fundamental, it is impossible to understand how a pendulum moves without seeing one in action. Try to make your private tuition in physics as stimulating as possible.

• Simplify: everything can be explained in a simple way. Nothing is complex enough for anyone to understand, it is likely that you have not found the way to do it, but surely someone before you has done it, look for videos on the internet of other physics tutors.

• Organise the dynamics: from the first topic to the last, always think about what you are going to teach and how you are going to teach it. Physics syllabuses have an order for a reason, you cannot jump from one topic to another without reinforcing your knowledge or you will leave gaps that will be very difficult to fill.

• Further reading: always have some reading to recommend, the knowledge is endless and there is content available for all levels. Contextualise your private tuition in physics or you will lose the interest of your students.

• Give the full syllabus: leaving part of the syllabus untaught can be a real problem, the gaps we mentioned earlier are fatal in a subject like this. That's why you should always organise yourself in the best possible way to give the best you can.

Thinking in science terms

Although many have put physics lessons on their resume, one of the most effective ways to give private tuition in physics is to instil a passion for the subject. And nothing works better than fostering an interest in science. A curious student works for two, and even if they struggle with the theory, they will work much harder than if they don't find the subject interesting.

It is very useful to relate the content we teach in physics and chemistry classes to real life and that is not very complicated, but much better than that is that students come to physics through scientific interest.

Try to instil in them the values of science, the desire to learn, to know and to investigate. It is a way to involve the student and above all to treat them with respect. There are some tutors who think that their students cannot reach certain goals or that things like science do not interest them because they only care about "teenage things".

Don't make that mistake, all students can go on to do great things. And of course, if they're not interested in certain subjects, it is because they haven't found the right perspective yet, so be patient.

It is often thought that physics classes are the typical subject where the tutor talks and the student listens, but nothing could be further from the truth. Many things about this subject generate doubts and curiosities, feed them. There are three things you should never stop encouraging:

• Debate, even between two people.

• Doubts, from the simplest to the most complex.

• Divagation, to the extent that you consider.

How to ask for feedback

Feedback is a very important part of a physics lesson, as it is the student's impressions, opinions and responses to all the content we are trying to teach.

We can't just ask questions in any old way if we want to get feedback that will help us in our private tuition in physics, these steps can be useful:

• Introduce the question: try to make the question visible so that the student is already thinking about the answer before asking it.

• Allow time: let the student think, although many know that if they take too long to answer, the physics tutor will end up answering, so don't leave more time than necessary.

• Give a hint: you ask a question, your student remains silent and the class comes to a standstill. Hints help you to move forward a little faster. Try to focus on how the student should think and not on the answer.

Advantages of being a private tutor

We all know someone who has given private tuition or is doing so. Why does everyone talk about how good it is to be a private tutor?

• Evaluate the answer: it is important that you say whether the answer is right or wrong, giving an ambiguous evaluation generates confusion in the student.

• The more answers the better: try to make the solution not just one and get your student to think of alternatives. Remember that the more paths you open, the further you will go.

• Always link the answer: don't just ask a question for the sake of asking, but make sure that answering a question is useful for the student and for your class. So always link the answer to the content of the class.

Feedback is important because it is a way of taking the student into account. It is a symbol of respect and empathy, no subject can be taught without this being fundamental, but much less one that demands as much work from the student as physics.