John Edward Croker

Who do you think you are?

Have you ever wondered what you are actually made of? The same basic materials that formed the stars? And how can something as apparently different as music, mathematics, physics and the human mind connect?

I have always been fascinated by those questions — from Astronomy, Electromagnetism and the forces of the Earth, to the mathematics behind them, and to the way ideas can be explored through music and performance.

I achieved A grades in GCSE Mathematics, Dual Award Science and English Literature*, won my school's Mathematics and Music prizes, and went on to study Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics at A Level, while beginning to perform professionally as a jazz pianist in York.

How I teach

I like to start with an interesting question, sometimes apparently unrelated to the lesson, and then find the connections. What do you want to know? What do you already understand? Where do you get stuck?

Using Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic (VAK) activities, I encourage students to think differently, experiment with ideas and develop confidence in their own ways of learning — whether we're exploring the Solar System, why ice expands when it freezes, or simply tackling a difficult problem from another angle.

My aim is not just to help students find the right answer, but to help them become more confident thinkers and learners.

Having lived and taught in Mallorca ( ) I have basic Spanish, but teach most comfortably in English.