University level Physics from an active researcher in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. Teaching and familiarizing people with abstract concepts for years :)

Find out more about Jakub

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

  I started to get interested in Physics through electrical engineering in my middle school years. When choosing a high school, I decided to focus on Physics and Mathematics. The experience of being around other students who were, just as I was, serious about expanding their understanding was so inspiring, that I found myself bound to study math and physics in college. It was in my 12th grade when I had the first opportunity to try private tutoring. That was back in 2019. I remember my first student, who was actually my age, having his "aha" moment as I gave him a mathematical reason for why the area of a triangle is given by the formula A=a*h/2. I had already known at that time that the way many students are presented the material lacks, in a fundamental way, the underlying rationale, and, most importantly, a reasonable derivation. Now, six years later, my diagnosis stays the same, and the method of teaching, albeit more dexterous, serves the same goals as back then.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  For the past six years students have asked me to help them get through various topics. In fact, I would never expect the scope to be so vast. At the same time, this very broadness played a key role in keeping me excited and bringing much novelty to my tutoring experience. I believe it is of great importance not to get bored by what you are asked to teach. So, whether it is quantum information, real analysis, ODEs, fluid dynamics or algebraic topology, I am open to the challenge.

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

  I definitely had a few anti-models, whose lack of ability encouraged me to try to teach better. However, I have encountered several teachers who had the patience and the dedication it takes to successfully guide a confused student through the inevitable struggles of learning a complex matter.

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

  Patience and dedication. It also helps to have the ability to put oneself in the student's shoes. That is, to keep in mind what your student already knows, and what is yet to come. I observe that this ability fades away for many academic teachers, as they age.

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

  I had a wonderful Physics teacher in my high school. We were given a problem in classical mechanics to solve, and there was a certain subtlety to it. Most people answered the problem incorrectly. Confused and desperate, I asked my teacher what I had missed, why my answer was wrong. But she urged me to keep thinking - "If you find it out yourself, you will remember the mistake forever". She was right. To this day, I remember perfectly well what the subtlety was. Today, I encourage my students to spot their mistakes themselves. I might guide them, but I prefer not to take that important experience away from them.

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

  Mathematics and Physics are hard, that is a fact. Everyone gets stuck from time to time. It is the resilience you learn along the way that helps you push forward. Knowing this, I tell my students to take their time to think, and that there is no need to rush. The most effective long term strategy is to understand your subject deeply.

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

  Being an active researcher, I obviously have a few chosen subjects. They are: algebraic and differential topology, category theory, differential geometry, field theory (Physics) etc. It is certainly extra fun for me when I come across a student who needs help with these.

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

  That I care about education. I really believe in the importance of understanding, not only for the sake of completing a subject and getting a grade.