I have always been fascinated with learning new things and exploring the world around me, trying to understand how ideas and concepts fit together to make a unified whole. It has never been enough for me to simply be given a fact and to be told that it is true, I need to know where that fact came from and how it fits in with other facts and ideas, and how they collectively fit into our world. This curiosity has naturally pushed me into academia, and furthermore, into teaching. Given my own love of learning, teaching others became a passion of mine, and just as my interest and curiosity about the world pushed me to learn as much as I can about it, my passion for teaching has pushed me to expand my teaching skills and pedagogical knowledge.
Helping students understand challenging and difficult subjects is an empowering experience, and moreover acts to empower the students themselves. The self-esteem and courage gained by mastering difficult material helps students to view themselves in a new and more positive light – if they can conquer calculus, they can conquer the world!
Teaching allows me to stay intellectually engaged with interesting material and gives me the opportunity to play a humble, but essential role in the growth and development of our future generations. This is why I teach.
My teaching techniques & course planning are based on scientifically researched and proven pedagogical methodologies.
Video of my wife and I teaching English in China. My section of the video begins at 2:25.
Physics is a notoriously difficult subject for many students and requires a teacher with not only extensive knowledge of the field itself, but also a strong background in mathematics. Having studied mathematical physics as an undergraduate, I have developed a deep understanding of both subject fields and their various interconnections. My further studies in the philosophy of physics have added to and bolstered my skills and understanding of the field. My teaching of physics aims to help students develop the necessary procedural skills and knowledge they need to progress to the university level, but also aims to inspire students to think more critically and deeply about the world around them.
Mathematics is often held to be a tedious and laborious subject; however, under the proper conditions and instruction math can be an engaging and exciting field of study. My undergraduate degree gave me the necessary skills and knowledge required to teach mathematics, but my graduate studies in the philosophy of mathematics made me see math in a completely new and unique way. I try to inject this dual nature in which I have come to view mathematics into my classes and try to foster a love of mathematics in my students. My training in the fields of mathematics and philosophy give me the skills required to present engaging and thought provoking lessons in mathematics that help students gain a deeper understanding of the subject.
During my undergraduate studies, I was able to complete a specialization in astrophysics, which explored the universe from the scale of planets up to the observable universe. I studied astronomy, the practical, experimental side of astrophysics, as well as , Einstein’s General Relativity, the deeply theoretical side. Furthermore, my studies in philosophy at both the undergraduate and graduate levels gave me the opportunity to focus on the philosophical underpinnings of cosmology and how we humans grapple with understanding the vast cosmos we find ourselves in. These experiences have given me the unique ability to help students develop a wide and deep understanding of their world.
As an undergraduate student minoring in philosophy, I completed two research assistantships, one focusing in philosophy of physics and the other on the translation of a text on ancient philosophy from German to English. I was also the recipient of a Gold Medal prize for an undergraduate philosophy essay. I was then awarded a SSHRC Master’s Scholarship and completed a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, specializing in the Philosophy of Physics & Mathematics. During my Master’s, I taught a Critical Thinking tutorial and was nominated for a teaching award. Collectively, these experiences have given me the skills and understanding of how to be successful in the academic world of philosophy as a student, teacher, and researcher.
My training and experience in teaching English as a foreign language along with my own experience of learning a second language have given me an acute awareness of the needs of language learners. My study and work abroad experiences, which carried me from Germany and continental Europe to China and the far east, have also helped me to develop a keen sense of how important social context and environment can be to the learning of a new language. Combined, my training and experiences abroad have given me the skills necessary to be a successful English teacher; and furthermore, will no doubt assist me in teaching any subject in culturally & linguistically diverse classrooms and environments the world over.
As an undergraduate physics student I had the opportunity to take a computational physics class which was taught in Python. The class focused on data analysis and experimental simulations; two areas where computer coding has become invaluable. This experience has helped prepare me for teaching as the Ontario government has recently added coding to both the elementary and secondary curriculum. I also had the opportunity to teach coding with Python to three grade 8 classes during my first practicum, where I developed a lesson and assessment using Google Colaboratory and Google Classroom. The lesson focused on data analysis and central tendency, which the students had already been exposed to during their math lessons.
High Level Public School
High Level, AB, Canada
Westminster Secondary School
London, ON, Canada
National E-School
Toronto, ON, Canada
Remote Work
Westminster Secondary School
London, ON, Canada
Virtual High School
Remote Work
Jack Chambers Public School
London, ON, Canada
City High School
Toronto, ON, Canada
Remote Work
National E-School
Toronto, ON, Canada
Remote Work
Best Learning Qingdao
Qingdao, SD, China
Shane English Yangzhou
Yangzhou, JS, China
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Waterloo, ON, Canada
The University of Western Ontario
London, ON, Canada
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, ON, Canada
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, ON, Canada
The University of Western Ontario, London, ON
STEM Specialization
Teachables: Senior Mathematics & Physics
The University of Western Ontario, London, ON
Subject Area: Physics – time, cosmology, and mathematics
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
Graduated with Honours
Universität Paderborn, Germany, NRW
DSH Language Courses
Focus on learning German language, history, and culture
Universität Mannheim, Germany, BW
Waterloo in Germany
Focus on learning German language, history, and culture
Ontario College of Teachers
Good Standing, June 2023
Alberta Education
July 2023
Western Teaching Support Centre
Focuses on teaching competence, reflective teaching
practices, and academic competence
Oxford Seminars
60 hrs in class + 40 hrs online grammar course + 40 hrs
specialization module in Teaching English to Children
Western Teaching Support Centre
20 hr course focusing on practical teaching skills, course
design, active learning, authentic assessment strategies, and
maintaining a culture of respect and community in the
classroom
The University of Western Ontario
Value: $17,500
University of Waterloo
Value: $750
University of Waterloo
Value: $1000
University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
Value: $250
University of Waterloo
Value: $1250
University of Waterloo
Value: $500
University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
Value: $1500
University of Waterloo
Value: $2000
Surveys conducted anonymously using a Google Form. Instructions given in form: Please rate your teacher by selecting a number below, where 10 is “excellent” and 1 is “poor.”
Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness
Teaching Strategies
Professional Development